Kelly Ripa stunned viewers of Live with Kelly and Mark by broaching the subject of divorce live on air.
The talk show host, 54, also shocked her co-host and husband Mark Consuelos, 53, with the controversial topic.
Kelly started off by mentioning how she’d recently read a magazine article about the growing phenomenon of the ‘gray divorce’ – a term used to describe the increasing number of divorces among people aged 50 and older.
‘I was talking to Mark about it and Mark got very defensive,’ she explained.
Mark responded, ‘You came home from the trip and you were like, “I read this amazing article!”‘
Kelly Ripa (left) stunned viewers of LIVE with Kelly and Mark on Monday by broaching the subject of divorce live on air with her husband Mark Consuelos (right)
Kelly said she’d read a magazine article about the growing phenomenon of the ‘grey’ divorce – a term used to describe the increasing 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 to get a ‘gray’ divorce too.
The awkward exchange divided viewers, with one writing, ‘She used the article to make him feel insecure. That can work two ways. The guy clings or he walks out of the door. Risky business.’
Another added, ‘Some truth in every joke and he looks nervous.’
A third said, ‘Divorcing as an older adult is horrible for many of us who’ve gone through it. How lovely that she’s [able] to joke about it so cavalierly.’
However, one viewer had praise for the couple, writing, ‘I like them together, they are relatable.’
Kelly and Mark first met in 1994 when he was auditioning for the soap opera All My Children, which launched both of 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 both of their careers (pictured)
They now work together as the co-hosts of the morning talk show LIVE with Kelly and Mark
‘Find someone that you enjoy walking on the beach with, talking about the future, about what you want,’ Mark told the digital lifestyle magazine Mr Feelgood last year.
‘We did that when we were 24 years old, 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 there’s talk about grandchildren, and we’re designing things around that – we want to be the magnets, we want to be the favorite grandparents. So we’re building the magnets so they have to come to us,’ Mark dished.
All three of the children Mark shares with Kelly have now reached adulthood – Michael is 26, Lola is 22 and Joaquin is 20.
‘It’s those kinds of conversations that really tie us together,’ said Mark, reflecting on the way he and Kelly plan for their lives going forward.
‘Even though I know I’m highly annoying and she is extremely patient. I would say that’s definitely a big factor in our relationship – her patience,’ he continued.
‘The word allegiance is probably not 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 those 50 and older have risen significantly, with 36 percent of Americans who divorced in 2019 above the age of 50, according to CNBC.
