“Mark Consuelos Opens Up About Kelly Ripa’s Surprise Proposal Moment”

Mark Consuelos revealed that he spontaneously proposed to his wife, Kelly Ripa, after they briefly split.

“I broke up with her ‘cause I was dumb and it was the most agonizing week of my life,” Consuelos, 54, shared while appearing on the Monday, September 15, episode of “The Skinny Confidential Him & Her Podcast.” “I just knew that I never wanted to feel like that. I’ve never felt like that in my life.”

Consuelos went on to note that Ripa, 54, didn’t return “any of [his calls]” when they split, though they had to be together in person to “do a bit of PR.”

“We were both on a soap,” he said, sharing they were going to be “presenting a winner” for the “Queen for the Day” segment on Live with Regis and Kathy Lee Gifford. “We both tried to get out of it. I called the PR person. … She tried to get out of it as well.”

When neither Consuelos or Ripa were able to get out of the obligation, they were forced to confront each other when they both appeared on the morning show.

“She looked amazing. I can still see this little Chanel beautiful jacket … with a kerchief. I’m, like, she’s French all the sudden?” the Riverdale actor recalled. “I was like, ‘Oh man, she looks so good. Boy, did I screw up.’”

Consuelos explained that Ripa didn’t want to speak to him, though he eventually convinced her to go on a walk in Central Park. “She really didn’t want to, but I was convincing,” he said. “We ended up back at my place downtown and I asked her to marry me. … She said, ‘Ask me when you’re serious.’ And I said, ‘I am dead serious. … We have a day off work tomorrow. Let’s fly to Vegas and get married.’”

The couple got married in Las Vegas in May 1996, and they’re still going strong today. They went on to welcome son Michael in 1997, followed by daughter Lola in 2001. Consuelos and Ripa completed their family when they welcomed son Joaquin in 2003.

This story was originally reported by Parade on Sep 18, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section.