Kelly Ripa says her son is experiencing 'extreme poverty' while living on his own
Ripa says her eldest son is 'chronically poor' since moving to Brooklyn
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Your support makes all the difference.Kelly Ripa has revealed her eldest son is struggling to adapt to life as an adult, after moving out on his own.
According to the talk-show host, who appeared as a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, her son Michael Consuelos recently moved to Bushwick, Brooklyn, where he is experiencing “extreme poverty” for the first time.
Discussing the 22-year-old’s new lifestyle, Ripa - worth an estimated $75m - said: “I think he loves the freedom. He hates paying his own rent and he’s chronically poor.
“I don’t think he ever really experienced extreme poverty like now.”
His new circumstances mean Michael, who is a student at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, is eagerly awaiting the money he receives from his grandparents each year on Halloween.
“For years, my kids sort of ignored the $20,” Ripa recalled. “But now that he’s living on his own, he’s called, like, three times: ‘Has the Halloween money arrived?’”
“Just so he can have electricity,” Ripa added while laughing, before summing it up: “He’s experiencing being an adult.”
The 49-year-old’s joke sparked backlash on social media, where some people expressed concern that Ripa was “making light” of extreme poverty.
“I think Kelly Ripa should try extreme poverty for a week before making light of it,” one person wrote on Twitter. “Most people in extreme poverty don’t even have Halloween money to depend on. It’s usually choosing between feeding your kids or yourself, paying bills or buying food. Very poor taste.”
Another said: “So you stated on Jimmy Kimmel that your son is experiencing ‘extreme poverty’ Wow... is he living on the street? With no job, no healthcare, no food?”
In addition to Michael, Ripa shares son Joaquin, 16, and daughter Lola, 18, with husband Mark Consuelos.
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