Kelly Ripa has acknowledged that she has avoided addressing a lingering knee problem for years, saying she tends to ignore health concerns until they become difficult to postpone.
Ripa made the admission while discussing health habits with co-host and husband Mark Consuelos.
Consuelos was talking about how people can dismiss symptoms rather than seek medical advice when Ripa acknowledged that her approach can go even further.
“I conversely ignore everything until it’s too late,” Ripa said, using her knee as an example. She noted that viewers have heard her complain about the issue for years but admitted she has taken no action to address it.
Ripa explained that part of her reluctance comes from worrying that a doctor’s visit for one problem could uncover another health issue.
Instead, she has continued treating the knee as an irritation that might eventually resolve on its own.
Another Delayed Health Procedure
The confession follows Ripa’s recent experience with gum graft surgery. Earlier this summer, she underwent the procedure after putting it off for several years.
Ripa later connected the need for the dental procedure to excessive brushing that had contributed to gum recession.
The recovery period temporarily kept her away from Live With Kelly and Mark, with Consuelos providing updates about her condition and the restrictions she faced.
While Ripa remains on the show’s summer break, her daughter Lola Consuelos has been documenting her own time away.
On Aug. 31, Lola posted a beach photo showing herself sitting beside her sleeping boyfriend, Cassius Kidston, and jokingly asked whether she should wake him to ask when he knew he liked her.
The post drew reactions from Ripa, Jessica Capshaw and Olivia Rodrigo, among others. Lola has lived in London with Kidston since moving there after graduating from New York University in 2023.
Ripa has not announced that she plans to seek treatment for her knee. Meanwhile, Live With Kelly and Mark is expected to return with new live episodes for Season 39 on Sept. 8 after airing prerecorded episodes during the summer break.
