Ricky Martin and his husband, Jwan Yosef, are going their separate ways after six years of marriage.
The pair announced their split in a joint statement to People on Thursday, July 6. “We have decided to end our marriage with love, respect and dignity for our children and honoring what we have experienced as a couple all these wonderful years,” they noted.
Martin, 51, and Yosef, 38, continued: “Our greatest desire now is to continue having a healthy family dynamic and a relationship centered on peace and friendship to continue the joint upbringing of our children, preserving the respect and love we have for each other.”
The twosome began dating after connecting via social media in 2015, making their red carpet debut as a couple at the 2016 amFAR Inspiration Gala in Brazil. Later that year, Martin announced the duo’s engagement during an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
“I proposed. I was really nervous. But I got on my knees and … it was very beautiful,” he gushed. “He said yes.”
Two years later, Martin revealed that he and Yosef tied the knot. “I’m a husband,” he told E! News in 2018, hinting that the then-newlyweds planned to celebrate their milestone with “a heavy party” after making their union official. “We exchanged vows. … We’ve signed all the papers that we needed to sign, prenups and everything.”
The now-estranged couple share two children: daughter Lucia, 4, and son Renn, 3. Martin was already a father when he met Yosef, having welcomed twins Matteo and Valentino via surrogate in 2008.
News of the pair’s divorce comes one year after a restraining order was filed against Martin in accordance with Puerto Rico’s domestic violence law. A rep for Martin denied any wrongdoing in a July 2022 statement to The Hollywood Reporter, noting, “We are very confident that when the true facts come out in this matter, our client Ricky Martin will be fully vindicated.”
The motion was filed against Martin under Puerto Rico’s Law 54, which is known as the Domestic Abuse Prevention and Intervention Act. His brother, Eric Martin, subsequently alleged that Ricky had an inappropriate relationship with his nephew, Dennis Yadiel Sanchez, then 21.
Ricky’s attorney shut down the “awful” accusations, telling Us Weekly in July 2022, “Unfortunately, the person who made this claim is struggling with deep mental health challenges. Ricky Martin has, of course, never been — and would never be – involved in any kind of sexual or romantic relationship with his nephew. The idea is not only untrue, it is disgusting.”
A hearing was scheduled to address the complaint, and the case was eventually dropped. “The accuser confirmed to the court that his decision to dismiss the matter was his alone, without any outside influence or pressure, and the accuser confirmed he was satisfied with his legal representation in the matter,” read a statement shared via Ricky’s Twitter account in July 2022. “The request came from the accuser asking to dismiss the case.”
The message continued: “This was never anything more than a troubled individual making false allegations with absolutely nothing to substantiate them. We are glad that our client saw justice done and can now move forward with his life and his career.”
