Kelly's getaway from the drama! Kelly Ripa and husband Mark Consuelos celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary with a Caribbean vacation, and the couple shared an exclusive pic with Us Weekly.
The talk-show host, 45, was all smiles with the Spanish-born actor in the sunny selfie. Both stars donned aviator sunglasses in front of a gorgeous beach backdrop.
The pair had planned the tropical trip prior to the Live controversy, which began when her cohost, Michael Strahan, unexpectedly announced on Tuesday, April 19, that he would be leaving for a full-time position at Good Morning America. Ripa reportedly wasn’t informed of the decision until moments before the news broke to the public and decided to call in sick on Wednesday to process everything before leaving for the scheduled vacation.
Ripa returned to Live on Tuesday, April 26, and explained her weeklong absence to the audience in the opening monologue. “I needed a couple of days to gather my thoughts after 26 years with this company. I earned the right and, let’s be honest, I know half of you called in sick to be here, so we get each other,” she joked. Then she turned to the more serious topic of Strahan’s exit and the ensuing fallout. “So what transpired over the course of a few days has been extraordinary in the sense that it started a much greater conversation about communication and consideration and, most importantly, respect in the workplace,” she continued.
Later in the show, the former soap star shared another fun photo from her anniversary getaway — of her wearing her wedding dress from two decades ago! In the pic, Ripa, clad in a beautiful white spaghetti-strap gown, wraps her arms around Consuelos. “It’s a beach cover-up now. I wear it all the time. It was the best $199 I ever spent in my life,” she told viewers.
The couple, who met on the set of All My Children, married in May 1996 and now share three kids, Michael, 18, Lola, 14, and Joaquin, 13.
