Kelly Ripa surprised viewers Lives with Kelly and Mark addressing the topic of divorce live.
The talk show host, 54, also surprised her co-host and husband Mark Consuelos, 53, with the controversial topic.
Kelly began by mentioning that he had recently read a magazine article about the growing phenomenon of “gray divorce,” a term used to describe the increasing number of divorces among people age 50 and older.
“I was talking to Mark about this and Mark got very defensive,” she explained.
Mark responded: ‘You came home from the trip and said, “I read this amazing article!”‘
Kelly Ripa (left) surprised LIVE with Kelly and Mark viewers on Monday by addressing the topic of divorce live with her husband Mark Consuelos (right).
Kelly said he had read a magazine article about the growing phenomenon of “gray” divorce, a term used to describe the growing number of divorces among people aged 50 and older.
Kelly then joked that the way the article was written had made her feel like she wanted a “gray” divorce, too.
The awkward exchange divided viewers, with one writing: “She used the article to make him feel insecure.” That can work in two ways. The guy hangs on or walks out the door. A risky business.
Another added: “There is some truth in every joke and it seems edgy.”
A third said: ‘Getting divorced as an older adult is horrible for many of us who have been through it.’ How nice that he’s able to joke about it so casually.’
However, one viewer praised the couple, writing: “I like them together, they’re easy to relate to.”
Kelly and Mark first met in 1994 when he was auditioning for the soap opera All My Children, which launched their careers.
They eloped to Las Vegas on May Day 1996 and have been together ever since, welcoming three children.
The couple first met in 1994, when Mark was auditioning for the soap opera All My Children, which launched their careers (pictured).
They now work together as co-hosts of the morning talk show LIVE with Kelly and Mark.
“Find someone you enjoy walking on the beach with, talking about the future, talking about what you want,” Mark told the digital lifestyle magazine. Lord feel good last year.
‘We did it when we were 24 and we still do it now. Like, “Wouldn’t it be great if we could do this?” the Hollywood heartthrob explained.
‘I never want to stop doing that, dreaming about what we could do. Now we talk about grandchildren and we are designing things around that: we want to be magnets, we want to be favorite grandparents. So we are building the magnets so that they have to reach us,” Mark said.
The three children Mark shares with Kelly are now adults: Michael is 26, Lola is 22, and Joaquín is 20.
“It’s those kinds of conversations that really bring us together,” Mark said, reflecting on how he and Kelly plan their lives going forward.
‘Although I know I’m very annoying and she’s extremely patient. “I would say that’s definitely an important factor in our relationship: his patience,” he continued.
“Loyalty probably isn’t a strong enough word, but I know she has my back and I hope she knows I have hers.”
The term gray divorce was coined in 2004 by the American Association of Retired Persons. In recent years, divorces among people 50 and older have increased significantly: 36 percent of Americans who divorced in 2019 were over 50, according to CNBC.