Kelly Ripa, Mark Consuelos Send Son Michael Off To College
Kelly Ripa’s son is heading off to college this year. The incoming freshman, 19-year-old Michael Joseph Consuelos, is the eldest child of Kelly and her actor husband, Mark Consuelos. Are Kelly and Mark ready for their imminent future as empty nesters? Ms. Ripa and Mr. Consuelos still have Michael’s junior siblings to finish rearing: 15-year-old daughter, Lola Grace, and their youngest son, 13-year old Joaquin Antonio.
Live with Kelly viewers will remember Michael’s parents gushing about their oldest son’s high school graduation and 19th birthday earlier this summer. Shortly after Kelly’s former Live co-host Michael Strahan left Ripa’s side for Good Morning America in May, Kelly had husband Mark fill in on co-host duties for Live‘s broadcast on Friday, June 3. Watch a clip of the couple discussing son Michael’s collegiate departure down below.
In a recent account from Entertainment Tonight, the celebrity newsmagazine reported that Ripa and her family celebrated new undergrad Michael Consuelo’s high school graduation at New York City’s Locanda Verde restaurant in June. On the aforementioned Live episode that month with Kelly and Mark, Ripa jokingly wondered to her husband, “How are we old enough to have a kid that’s going to college?”
Like any parent with a kid leaving for college, Ripa joked that she had “big plans for his bedroom, big plans,” according to E! News. The choice of institution for the higher education of Kelly Ripa’s son has not been disclosed, ostensibly in an effort to protect the privacy of the Ripa-Consuelos family.
“Sometimes your kids just want to be acknowledged and listened to like they matter, because they do… and really hear what they are saying. Like if there’s a struggle going on, if they are having problems with a subject [in school]. They can tell you so much if you just listen.”
As previously reported by the Inquisitr, Ripa posted a photo on Instagram last week of son Michael with his younger sister and brother. Intimating that Lola and Joaquin were “saying goodbye to big bro, the college freshman,” Ripa appended the post with the emojis for a graduation cap, eyeglasses, books, and, finally, a clapper board — indicating son Michael’s educational interest in filmmaking.
A budding director, Michael was living with his father in Los Angeles this summer while Mark filmed his new Fox show, Pitch. Kelly stayed in New York to film her morning episodes of Live with Kelly. Ripa’s son, taking advantage of the Hollywood opportunity, interned at Blumhouse Productions. Page Six comically commented that “Michael Strahan isn’t the only guy out of Kelly Ripa’s hair” this summer.
Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos, both 45 years old, have been married for 20 years. Ripa, who portrayed Hayley Vaughan on All My Children from 1990 to 2002, met Consuelos on set when he joined the soap opera’s cast as character Mateo Santos in 1995. The popular pair eloped in Las Vegas on May 1, 1996.
The Kelly Ripa co-host guests continue their star-studded streak on Live for the remainder of this week. On Wednesday morning, September 1, Ripa is joined by classical singer Josh Groban as co-host. NBA star Dwyane Wade completes the week as Kelly’s Live co-host on Friday, September 2.
Directly below, watch a hilarious clip from Ripa’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! appearance in February. In the segment, Kelly tells Jimmy Kimmel about her youngest son Joaquin’s wrestling tournament and the underappreciated, cross-country traveling she undertakes to be present at such important events for her son.
Can you relate to Kelly Ripa’s feelings on watching her firstborn son set off for college? Do you remember when your child departed for university, or perhaps when you left home for school? As the fall semester gets underway at colleges nationwide, let us know your thoughts on Kelly’s college-bound son in the comments section below.
[Photo by Brad Barket/Getty Images]
