Kelly Ripa Jokes Her Friends' Post-Split Glow-Ups Make 'a Strong Argument for Divorce': 'They've Shed a 200-Pound Weight'

It's that post-divorce glow — and Kelly Ripa is well aware of it despite being married to her husband, Mark Consuelos, for more than 30 years.

During the Thursday, July 9, episode of Live With Kelly and Mark, Ripa and her husband weighed in on the topic of women experiencing "divorce glow-ups" and sharing dramatic before-and-after photos online following the end of their marriages.

"Some of you have friends that have gotten divorced, yes?" Ripa asked the audience. "And they look d--- good when it's over, don't they? And you're like, 'Oh, my gosh, she's making a strong argument for divorce.'"

Ripa — who shares three kids with Consuelos — explained that many women have been posting photos documenting the physical and emotional changes they've experienced after leaving unhappy relationships.

"Women are posting their divorce glow-ups online, and experts are saying they're onto something," the longtime talk show host said, joking: "No, they're not saying we should get divorced."

She noted the images often compare women at the height of marital stress with photos taken after their relationships ended.

"Some women are posting images of themselves before the relationship breaks up when they are at peak stress, and then the after photo, where they are suddenly unburdened," she continued. "They've shed a 200-pound weight."

Ripa then referenced a licensed marriage therapist's explanation that the transformation isn't necessarily about becoming more attractive.

"'Divorce doesn't make you prettier,' says this licensed marriage therapist, 'but when cortisol levels are elevated, your face and body hold onto all of those stressors that can drop away and soften literally after their marriage ends.'"

The Hope & Faith actress admitted she's seen the phenomenon play out among people she knows.

"I have witnessed my friends go through divorces," Ripa shared. "And I'm like, 'Wow. You're making a strong argument for divorce.'"

Consuelos then comedically offered a male perspective, asking audience members whether they had seen similar transformations in divorced men.

"Hey, fellows, in the audience," he quipped. "There's a lot of young guys here, but there's a few guys around my age. Do you have any buddies? Anybody had their buddies go through a divorce? Raise your hand. Yeah. They look great, don't they? They look rested."

Ripa quickly shot down her husband's theory.

"That's a lie," she declared. "You know they look lost."

Consuelos doubled down on the joke, saying, "Yeah, but they're lost, but they have that 25-year-old girlfriend that's leading them everywhere they need to go. 'Where should we go, honey? I don't know. I'm lost. Take me. I've lost 50 pounds. I have a tan. Take me wherever you want me to go.'"

Laughing at how Consuelos interpreted the discussion, Ripa teased, "I love how you listened to that article and personalized it."

"No!" Consuelos replied. "I just thought it'd be funny."