Red Flags In Kelly Ripa And Mark Consuelos' Relationship

Actors Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos make up one of those rare Hollywood couples that have somehow managed to stay together for almost three decades. After the two met while starring in the soap opera "All My Children" in 1995, the couple tied the knot in 1996. Today, they still seem just as happy and in love. However, we know better than to trust that a celebrity relationship is picture-perfect.

To help us identify any potential red flags in Ripa and Consuelos' marriage, we've reached out to matchmaker and CEO of Exclusive Matchmaking Susan Trombetti, and celebrity love coach Nicole Moore. While the experts agree that the celebrity couple is doing great even after nearly 30 years of being together and that they seem to be in a healthy relationship — both Trombetti and Moore have exclusively pointed out a few things that the two could probably still improve.

During an October 2024 episode of "LIVE with Kelly and Mark," Kelly Ripa joked about wanting to have a "gray divorce" — a term used for divorces of couples who are over 50 and have been together for quite some time (via E! News). Ripa discovered the term while listening to an article, and even though she clarified that the only reason a gray divorce sounded appealing was because of the narrator's voice — the mention of it is still a red flag.

"While she was joking, Mark did appear a bit annoyed at the comment and Kelly's joke could point to deeper issues in the relationship," Nicole Moore explains exclusively to Glam, adding that one partner joking about divorce often causes problems in the relationship. " ... it means they have at least thought about divorcing at some point in the past," Moore says. "In addition, Kelly joking about Mark on air indicates that she is willing to somewhat disparage her husband in public." This type of behavior — especially in public — isn't synonymous with a strong and loving relationship.

Kelly Ripa has admitted that Mark Consuelos' jealousy was a huge problem at the beginning of their relationship. "You used to be insanely jealous, and that was a hard pill to swallow," she revealed on her "Let's Talk Off Camera with Kelly Ripa" podcast (via Nicki Swift). In response, Consuelos admitted that his jealousy issues were a major problem but that he has worked on them over the years. "I'm not jealous anymore," he said. "It's such an ugly feeling inside." And even though a little bit of jealousy in a relationship is fine, it's no secret that lots of it can cause plenty of problems. 

In fact, our experts explain that jealousy is a red flag one shouldn't disregard. "While the couple has shared that they have worked on their jealousy issues, jealousy in a relationship is typically a sign that the couple doesn't fully trust each other," Nicole Moore explains exclusively to us. "Jealousy issues typically don't come out of nowhere but they are born out of one or both partners acting inappropriately or in a flirty manner with others." Furthermore, Moore explains that jealousy can sometimes be rooted in projection — especially if it occurs at the beginning of a relationship. In this case, this means that Consuelos could have been jealous because of a guilty conscience. However, Susan Trombetti tells us that it isn't impossible to overcome, and if a couple is honest and working on it — the red flag can be dealt with. "I feel it still could emerge, but she has probably learned not to trigger him too much," Trombetti adds. "Both probably changed behaviors a bit. After all, they have been married for so long, they are doing something right." 

Even though working with their partner might sound like a great idea to many, the truth is that it often comes with many obstacles. And for those who don't know, Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos are hosting the show "LIVE with Kelly and Mark" together, and our experts explain why that might be a red flag for the two. "As Kelly was the host of the show for years before Mark came on as co-host, there may have been a power struggle dynamic at play whereby Kelly had to cede some of her star power on the show to Mark," Nicole Moore tells us exclusively.

Furthermore, Moore explains that working together means that any disagreements and disputes that happen at work are immediately also transferred into their private life. "If this couple doesn't truly operate as equals on set or if it feels like one partner is trying to boss the other one around, that could spell disaster for their dynamic," she adds.

During a 2021 episode of "LIVE with Kelly and Mark," Kelly Ripa revealed that her husband often solves relationship issues with "love and sexy time," to which Mark Consuelos responded with "Not everything. Not everything!" Then Ripa added, "Just about almost everything" (via E! News).

According to our expert Nicole Moore, this kind of behavior could be a major red flag. "If Mark pushes sex to solve conflicts every time, that's a red flag as it could signal that he's unwilling to truly listen to Kelly's complaints or be emotionally intimate," she explains exclusively to Glam. "It's possible that Kelly may feel emotionally dismissed at times in the relationship or like she can't connect with Mark deeply in ways other than sex." While sex is a crucial part of any relationship, using it to make a partner forget things is definitely not a long-term solution.

In the same 2021 episode, at one point, Kelly Ripa referred to the couple's home as "the Mark Consuelos household," something Nicole Moore instantly recognized as a red flag (via E! News). "The fact that Kelly referred to their shared household as a 'Mark Consuelos household' may indicate that behind closed doors, Mark is in a position of authority over the household and over Kelly," she tells us exclusively.

When it comes to a household, having balance is crucial for a healthy relationship, and if one partner has the upper hand at home, that is definitely not a good sign. "While some couples may prefer this dynamic, many people often struggle when in a partnership where one partner controls the household," Moore adds. "Given the fact that Kelly is such a powerful woman with a thriving career, the couple may experience power struggles behind the scenes if Mark expects his wife to be subservient to him when they're at home." Of course, while Ripa mentioned "the Mark Consuelos household," there's nothing to say that she meant it; a power imbalance at home is certainly not what the couple is showcasing in public.

Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos have been in the spotlight for decades, but according to our expert Susan Trombetti, the two are sharing too much of their personal life with the public. In fact, Trombetti explains that the couple often shares TMI things during their show and that they really should reconsider what the viewers need to know before they say it.

"That's always a recipe for disaster because people are sick of the cutesy act between the two of them," Trombetti shares exclusively with Glam. "We know they have difficulties like everyone else." In fact, the way that the two are striving toward perfection could easily backfire, and for them, their image could become more important than what's actually happening behind closed doors. After all, we've definitely seen just what public scrutiny can do to couples over the years.

Susan Trombetti explains that being together 24/7 can put a strain on a romantic relationship and that it's often hard for the couple to stop discussing work after work hours. As previously mentioned, Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos host "LIVE with Kelly and Mark," which means that they wake up, go to work, shoot the show, and then head back home together. And even though they surely do things on their own every now and then, they certainly seem to be spending lots of time with each other.

"You have to have something of individual interest with your own passion to bring to the marriage or any relationship, and when you are living and breathing the same stuff as a couple, you can stagnate," she shares with us exclusively, adding that working together "blurs the line between co-worker Kelly and Mark and romantic couple Kelly and Mark." While Ripa and Consuelos aren't the first couple to work with each other, in the eyes of our expert, "LIVE with Kelly and Mark" really isn't doing them any favors, and they may have to take extra efforts to curb co-dependency in their relationship.