NEWSKelly Ripa's Son Joaquin Gave His Mom 'Strict Parameters' in Order to Attend After-Party for Broadway Debut: 'Just Be Cool'

Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos' youngest son, Joaquin, recently made his Broadway debut in 'Death of a Salesman.'
April 13 2026, Published 10:32 p.m. ET
Kelly Ripa is learning there are rules when your kid becomes the star — though they don't apply to her husband, Mark Consuelos.
During the Monday, April 13, episode of Live With Kelly and Mark, the longtime host, 53, opened up about attending son Joaquin Consuelos’ Broadway debut in Death of a Salesman on Thursday night, April 9 — and revealed he had one very important request for her ahead of the show.
“Our son opened on Broadway. Don’t mind telling you that that felt pretty amazing,” Kelly gushed, noting she and Mark weren't the most confident when Joaquin first expressed interest in acting.
Kelly Ripa Raves About 'Remarkable' Son Joaquin

Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos' son graduated from University of Michigan's drama school in May 2025.
“When your child says, ‘I’m gonna go to drama school,’ you think to yourself, ‘Oh my god, we have failed as parents,’” she quipped. “And so to get any job was like inconceivable to us… and then he books a Broadway show. It was just remarkable for us to watch.”
Kelly emphasized how meaningful the moment was by teasing her husband about the decades he's worked in the entertainment industry.
“You’ve been in this game a long time — 30-plus years — and after all those years, you’re finally doing a Broadway show,” she said to her co-host. “I was trying to explain it to him, like, ‘Do you understand how remarkable it is?’”
“It’s not lost on me,” Mark replied.
'He Didn't Give Me Any Parameters'

Joaquin Consuelos only gave his mom, Kelly Ripa, strict parameters for attending a party after opening night..
While the proud parents were thrilled to celebrate Joaquin’s big night, Kelly admitted her son made it clear she needed to keep things low-key at the after-party.
“It was very funny because he gave us kind of like strict parameters,” she explained, though Mark wasn't on the same page.
“Did he? He didn’t give me any parameters,” the Riverdale actor confessed.
“He gave me parameters,” Kelly clarified with an eye roll. “He’s like, ‘You’re going to the party?’ I go, ‘Yeah.’ He’s like, ‘Why are you going?’”
- Kelly Ripa 'Didn't Ask for Permission' to See Her Son in Broadway Show After He Told Her Not to Come
- 'I Was Not Permitted': Kelly Ripa Reveals Why Mark Consuelos Attended Their Son Joaquin's First Preview on Broadway Without Her
- Kelly Ripa Supports Son Joaquin at Broadway Debut in 'Death of a Salesman' After Not Being 'Permitted' to Attend First Preview
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'When You Get There... Just Be Cool'

Kelly Ripa joked she 'mostly' left her son Joaquin alone at his after-party.
After explaining that attending the after-party is part of the opening night experience, Joaquin ultimately gave his mom simple instructions: "Alright, well when you get there… just be cool."
"And we were cool," Mark insisted.
“We were so cool!” Kelly agreed, but noted she couldn’t resist a quick mom moment. "We left him mostly alone. I mean, I did hug him and I was like, ‘I’m so proud of you, congratulations.’ And he’s like, ‘Alright, OK.’"
'Everyone Else Was Allowed to Hug Him'

Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos share three children.
Meanwhile, Kelly noticed other guests didn’t face the same restrictions.
“Everyone else was allowed to hug him and tell him how proud they were all night,” Kelly complained, though Mark assured her, “That’s normal.”
“Is that normal?” she playfully questioned.


