Kelly Ripa is a doting mom and wanted to ensure her daughter Lola felt special on her 23rd birthday last week. Lola marked her special day on June 16, and the Live host shared a montage featuring videos and photos of her daughter from the past two decades. These included several never-before-seen photos, including one featuring her two sons, Michael, 28, and Joaquin, 22, along with a friend.
The pair posed with their sister during a trip out to what looked to be an exhibition in New York City. Both Michael and Joaquin towered over their sister, and the group looked like they were having a great time! Both Michael and Joaquin are following in their parents' footsteps as actors.
Michael has been pursuing his career since graduating from NYU in 2020, with projects including working on Riverdale with his dad, Mark Consuelos, where he played a younger version of the actor's character Hiram Lodge.
© InstagramJoaquin has been inspired by his older brother, and is looking to find work in the theatre now he's graduated from the University of Michigan.He told the University of Michigan Athletics just before graduating: "I think it's a really good play. I'm a big music guy and the soundtrack of the play is cinematic.
Just based off of the rehearsal process so far, I think this will have the most personal impact on me."Joaquin studied theatre at college, and was also part of the wrestling team.For a while, he wasn't sure which path to pursue after university, but concluded that for now, he would like to go down the acting route.
© Kelly Ripa/LIVE with Kelly and MarkHe explained to the publication that he started to attend more auditions and even attended one on behalf of Michael. "I should actually look into doing this. That was the light bulb moment," he said as he opened up about doing an audition on his brother's behalf.
Kelly Ripa: 5 suprising facts
© Variety via Getty Images1. Psychic pregnancy
During her early days on Live, Kelly's pregnancy was supposed to be a secret. However, when psychic Char Margolis appeared on the daytime talk show, she revealed on air that Kelly was expecting after predicting a "new baby" was on the way.
2. Business partners
Kelly and her husband, Mark Consuelous, own their own production company together called Milojo, which is a combination of their children's names - Michael, Lola and Joaquin.
3. Musical star
Kelly's manager discovered her and encouraged her to pursue acting after seeing her perform in her senior high school play, The Ugly Duckling.
4. Three tattoos
Kelly has three tattoos: one on the side of her ankle, another of her husband's last name on her wrist, and a third design which remains a mystery.
5. En pointe
Kelly holds the Guinness World Record for being part of a group of 305 dancers who performed en pointe simultaneously. She set the record live on Kelly and Ryan in 2019 in New York City.
Lola, meanwhile, is a talented singer and is splitting her time between London and New York City to pursue her music career. And while Kelly and Mark's children have enjoyed a privileged lifestyle thanks to their parents' careers, they are incredibly grounded.
© InstagramBack in 2019, she shared a photo of Michael - who was then at college - with the caption: "When your son gives you a job.." One follower asked whether Michael had dropped out of school, to which she replied: "Michael goes to college and is a senior and works full time. He is in his first non parent subsidized apt with roommates.
"I'm used to getting a lot of slack because people love to have fake outrage over something they didn't see. They only read a headline and wag their tired fingers." She went on to say: "I didn't grow up privileged and neither did @instasuelos. We work and we expect our kids to as well. And the fact that a pack of fools want to [expletive] about that, I say let em."
© InstagramThe former All My Children star also shed more light on her children's lives as she opened up about her oldest son Michael's living situation during a previous appearance on Jimmy Kimmel."Your son lives in Brooklyn now," the chat show host said, to which she replied: "He lives in Bushwick."
She continued: "I think he loves the freedom, he hates paying his own rent and he is chronically poor. I don't think he ever really experienced extreme poverty like now."Kelly has also spoken out about the need for her children to earn their own way in life on Instagram.
