In an excerpt from Marlo Thomas and Phil Donahue's new book What Makes a Marriage Last, Mark Consuelos and Kelly Ripa shared a story from the early days of their marriage that could have ended badly for the newlyweds.
“After we were married, I was doing a show in Boston, and I couldn’t get a hold of her all day,” Consuelos recalled. “We didn’t have cellphones then. I got a really bad feeling. So I got on a flight to New York and called her from the plane and asked her what she was doing that night.”
When Consuelos called, however, Ripa was busy cleaning their bathroom. Consuelos thought her story was "fishy" and concocted a plan to sneak into their building to try and catch her cheating. “Apparently he thought that sounded very fishy. He wanted to catch me,” Ripa added. “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!’”
Instead of flowers, Ripa was greeted by her husband barging in to look for another man in their home. “I have a johnny mop in one hand, and I’m wearing a bathrobe,” Ripa shared. “So I open the door, and it’s him. 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!”
After realizing Ripa really had been busy cleaning, Consuelos admitted he felt "horrible" and was "wrong" for believing his wife was cheating on him. After 24 years of marriage, Consuelos says he's "less jealous these days."
Photo: Getty