Although Kelly Ripa, 54, joked about divorcing her ABC co-host and husband Mark Consuelos, 53, relationship experts say leaving a spouse at the age of 50 and older is no laughing matter.
Ripa raised the issue on Friday’s episode of “Live with Kelly and Mark” after reading an article about the increase in the number of older couples getting divorced.
“The way the article was written almost made me want to get a gray divorce, too,” Ripa joked.
“Gray divorces,” a term referring to spouses over 50 years old walking away from marriage, are on the rise nationwide.
“Emotionally, there is often loneliness and isolation, especially for older adults who have relied on their spouse for social support,” dispute resolution expert Kimberly Best told The Epoch Times. “There is also the stigma and judgment from family, friends, and society.”
Best founded Best Conflict Solutions in Tennessee.
Consuelos appeared shocked by his wife’s interest in the topic. The couple have been married 26 years and have three children.
“You came home from the trip, and you were like, ‘I read this amazing article!’” Consuelos said.
Ripa and Consuelos ultimately reassured the audience that there is not a divorce on their horizon because they still have a lot in common.
“You would take care of me, though,“ Consuelos said. ”Change my diapers.”
To which Ripa replied, “Of course, I would! I do it all the time.”
The couple met in 1994 when Consuelos auditioned for the ABC soap opera “All My Children” where Ripa was already part of the cast portraying the fictionalized character Hayley Vaughan. They married two years later and in 2023, began co-hosting their morning talk show together.
Neither Ripa nor Consuelos responded to requests for comment.
“There is a lot of comfort in knowing someone so well and being able to communicate your needs and desires with someone who can, not only listen, but hear,” Alan Thomalla, a licensed psychologist in the Midwest, told The Epoch Times. “With such understanding most conflicts are trivial and easily and mutually resolved.”
A divorce for most couples regardless of age is often challenging, but by 50, the stakes are even higher due to assets acquired over time that can be difficult to split. Depending on the state, assets are not always divided equally. California, for example, is a community property state, while New York is not.
“Financially rebuilding at 50 plus is harder and takes longer,” Thomalla added. “Employers may be less interested in hiring older workers and earning potential starts to dip after 55 for most people, so rebuilding takes longer.”
Celebrity couples who have divorced or separated in middle age include Hugh Jackman and Meryl Streep.
Streep, 75, separated from her husband, Don Gummer, 77, in 2017 while Jackman, 56, divorced his 68-year-old wife Deborra-Lee Furness a year ago after 27 years of marriage.
“Often, celebrity or rich couples who’ve been together for decades will choose to stay together due to keeping up appearances or keeping the wealth and assets as they are,” celebrity love coach and relationship expert Nicole Moore told The Epoch Times. “For celebrity couples, especially, there may be a pressure to stay married due to maintaining their image as a Hollywood ‘it’ couple.”
While divorce is more socially accepted now than it was in the past, family law attorney Anna Blood argues that many older couples consider the family unit they created together before filing for divorce.
“Couples will inevitably share grandchildren together and with older couples, those will be coming sooner rather than later,” she said.
Blood is the founder and managing attorney of the Blood Law firm in Charlotte.
The benefits of staying married cause many to consider alternatives to divorce, such as couple’s therapy and living separate lives, according to family law attorney Marina Shepelsky of the Shepelsky Law Group in New York.
“Living in a good healthy marriage is good for your physical health,” Shepelsky told The Epoch Times. “It prolongs lives. Socializing and living with a caring partner is good for your peace of mind, and you do not feel alone with aging—it is easier to overcome the challenges of getting older when you do not have to bear all the burdens alone.”
One of the biggest advantages of embracing traditional values and staying married until death is the opportunity to grow with a partner over time instead of jumping ship when difficulties hit, according to Moore.
“What made your relationship work when you were younger might not work now so there’s an opportunity to learn new relationship skills and grow together as a couple if you choose to stay married long term,” Moore added.
