Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos‘ marriage has been solid for the last 24 years. Or at least that’s how it seemed. It turns out that in their early days as husband and wife, there were still nagging thoughts at the back of Mark’s mind that his stunning All My Children co-star spouse could be seeing someone else while he was away. That’s where a mid-20 something newlywed’s mind can go…especially in the days before cell phones, when constant contact wasn’t an option.
Mark tells the story of how he tested Kelly’s fidelity with a flower ruse in the new book What Makes A Marriage Last. Celebrity couple Marlo Thomas and Phil Donahue — who have been married for 40 years — authored the book where their subtitle is 40 Celebrated Couples Share with Us the Secrets to a Happy Life. As reported by Cosmopolitan, Mark reveals in the book that, “After we were married, I was doing a show in Boston, and I couldn’t get a hold of her all day. We didn’t have cellphones then. I got a really bad feeling.” Mark, 49, and Kelly, also 49, eloped to Las Vegas and wed on May 1, 1996.
“So I got on a flight to New York and called her from the plane and asked her what she was doing that night.” Kelly gave him the very unglamorous answer that she was cleaning the toilets in their apartment. “Apparently, he thought that sounded very fishy. He wanted to catch me,” Kelly shared. “So he gets home and tells the doorman to call up to the apartment and tell me there’s a flower delivery. I’m excited because I’m thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, he’s sending me flowers!'” thinking her husband was being totally romantic.
It turns out there were no flowers. Mark was just testing Kelly to see if she was expecting anything from another man. Kelly said that she opened the door to their apartment while in her bathrobe and holding a johnny mop, hoping her husband and flowers were on the other side. Mark was, but the floweres weren’t. “He comes in…he doesn’t even say hello. He’s looking for something. I’m still looking for the flower guy! And he’s sweeping the scene!’ she recalled. Thankfully Mark regrets the incident and said that jealousy “feels horrible and you know you’re wrong,” and he’s “less jealous these days.” After 24 years of marriage and three kids, Michael, 22, Lola, 18, and Joaquin, 17, it’s pretty clear Mark and Kelly are in it for the long run, especially with their still-red hot love life.