trouble in paradise

Ricky Martin spills the tea on his divorce from Jwan Yosef, says the split was in the works… for years?!?

By · 19 comments
Ricky Martin and Jwan Yosef wearing tuxedos

Ricky Martin is breaking his silence for the first time since announcing he and husband Jwan Yosef were divorcing last month.

While the couple were married for six years, Martin has now disclosed the strife in their marriage had been going on for a long time as the decision to split had been in the works for more than three years.

“Jwan and I will always be family. We have two children that we are going to raise together,” Martin told journalist Lourdes Collazo in an interview for Telemundo Puerto Rico. “But this isn’t something new. We have been planning this situation for a long time. This is pre-pandemic.”

However, the process of getting to the realization that they were better off breaking up didn’t come easy.

“We looked into each other’s eyes and smiled and we hugged,” the 51-year-old shared. “We went through the highs and lows. We cried together and we laughed together.”

And while news of the marriage’s demise may have come as a shock to the world, he and Jwan had already made peace knowing the healthiest thing for their family was to separate.

“When the public found out that we were divorcing we had already gone through a process of much solitude,” Martin added. “We were firm that this is what needed to happen for his well-being, my well-being, and for our children. We’re better than ever.”

Watch Martin speak on his divorce in the Spanish-language Telemundo interview below:

Martin and Jwan share daughter Lucia, 4, and son Renn, 3. The “Living La Vida Loca” singer had has 14-year-old twin sons, Matteo and Valentino, prior to meeting Yosef and will continue to raise them as a single parent.

Despite the marriage issues, Martin and Josef made sure their kids never witnessed them arguing.

“My children never saw a fight between Jwan and me,” he said. “That’s why it’s like, ‘Are you going to divorce, are you going to separate, how?’ because we resolved our differences with a good talk, over in our room.”

As far as how the older kids handled the news, Martin noted, “When we told them, it was like, ‘Well, Dad, are you okay, are you happy? Is this the decision? Don’t do it for us, we’re okay.’” 

While Martin is open to love again, he’s not in a rush to get into anything serious for now.

“Take it easy! It was seven or eight years (with Jwan). I want to have a good time, I want to enjoy life… Let’s take it easy, but yes, I do see myself in another relationship,” he disclosed. “I’m not talking about the near future, but I like being in love, I like being in a relationship, I like waking up in the morning to a morning kiss, breakfast, and complicity.”

He’s also made it clear that there is no animosity with his ex. “Jwan and I are going to be friends forever,” Martin said.

The Latin superstar’s lengthy revelations come after Yosef briefly commented on the spilt while confronted by the paparazzi.

Caught on the street by a cameraman, the 38-year-old responded to questions of the divorcing by saying, “It’s all well” and “the kids are happy and we’re happily separated.”

Martin and Yosef met via Instagram in 2015 and became engaged a year later.

In January 2018, Martin disclosed they had married in a secret ceremony.

Related:

PHOTOS: An appreciation post about Ricky Martin’s manspread

Ricky Martin has made many contributions to the culture.

Don't forget to share:

Help make sure LGBTQ+ stories are being told...

We can't rely on mainstream media to tell our stories. That's why we don't lock Queerty articles behind a paywall. Will you support our mission with a contribution today?

Once Monthly Annually

Cancel anytime · Proudly LGBTQ+ owned and operated