Kelly Ripa stunned viewers 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 began by talking about how she had recently read a magazine article about the growing phenomenon of “gray divorce” – a term used to describe the increasing divorce rate among people aged 50 and over.
“I talked to Mark about it and Mark got very defensive,” she explained.
Mark responded, “You came home from the trip and thought, “I read this great article!”
Kelly Ripa (left) stunned viewers of LIVE with Kelly and Mark on Monday by bringing up the topic of divorce live with her husband Mark Consuelos (right)
Kelly said she had read a magazine article about the growing phenomenon of “gray” divorce – a term used to describe the increasing divorce rate among people aged 50 and over
Kelly then joked that the way the article was written had made her feel like she wanted a “gray” divorce too.
The awkward exchange divided viewers, with one writing: ‘She used the article to make him feel insecure. That can work in two ways. The man hangs on or walks out the door. Risky business.’
Another added: “There’s some truth in every joke and he looks nervous.”
A third said: ‘Divorce as an older adult is devastating for many of us who have been through it. How sweet she is [able] to joke about it so casually.’
However, one viewer had praise for the couple, writing: ‘I like them together, they’re relatable.’
Kelly and Mark first met in 1994 when he auditioned for the soap opera All My Children, which launched both of their careers.
They eloped to Las Vegas on May 1, 1996 and have been together ever since, welcoming three children.
The couple first met in 1994 when Mark auditioned for the soap opera All My Children, which launched both of their careers (pictured)
They now work together as co-hosts of the morning talk show LIVE with Kelly and Mark
“Find someone you like to walk on the beach with, talk 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 that 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 people talk about grandchildren, and we design 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 said.
All three of the children Mark shares with Kelly are now adults: Michael is 26, Lola is 22 and Joaquin is 20.
“It’s conversations like this that really connect us,” Mark said, reflecting on the way he and Kelly plan their future lives.
‘Even though I know I’m very annoying and she is very patient. “I would say that’s definitely a big factor in our relationship: her patience,” he continued.
“The word loyalty is probably not strong enough, 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, the divorce rate among people over 50 has increased significantly: according to CNBC, 36 percent of Americans who divorced in 2019 were over the age of 50.