It’s been a landmark week for Kelly Ripa, who received one of the highest honors of her career by being named a Disney Legend. Her devoted husband, Mark Consuelos, and close friend, David Muir, were by her side for the celebration.
David publicly congratulated Kelly on Instagram, saying, “Your wit, charm, and beauty have been legendary for a very long time. Congratulations—so deserved!” The post featured a compilation of moments from the ceremony. Mark also celebrated his wife’s achievement with a post that read, “The woman, the myth, the Disney Legend!!! Proud of you, babe!!!!”
During her acceptance speech, Kelly humorously remarked, “I know what you’re thinking, why her? What has she ever done? She doesn’t even go here!” She expressed her gratitude, saying, “To be employed by the same company for 34 years is my great good fortune. I owe everything to Disney—not only my career but my entire immediate family.”
Kelly met her husband, actor and talk show host Mark Consuelos, on the set of All My Children in the 1990s, where they played love interests. They are now married with three children and co-host Live! Together.
Kelly reminisced about a childhood trip to Disney, saying, “My dad once drove us from New Jersey to a magical new world called Disney, where we stayed at the Polynesian Village. I can still smell the gardenias, see the electric light parade, and we talk about that trip like it was yesterday.”
She added, “Bringing our parents back to Disney with their grandchildren has been the privilege of my lifetime, and being named a Disney Legend is just the pixie dust on top of the sundae. Without you, none of my adult life would have been possible. Thank you so very much; I’m so honored.”
Angela Bassett, star of 9-1-1, was also named a Disney Legend, introduced by Black Panther director Ryan Coogler. Star Wars icon Harrison Ford received a standing ovation, expressing his love for his career and collaborators: “I love the life you’ve given me. I love the people that I’ve had the opportunity to work with. Nobody does anything in this business for long without collaboration, no matter who we are and what we’re doing.”
The ceremony also honored composer John Williams from Star Wars and Indiana Jones, as well as Frank Oz, the voice behind Yoda. Miley Cyrus, now the youngest Disney Legend, accepted the honor and humorously addressed conspiracy theories about Disney child stars, saying, “If I was [created in a lab], there must have been a bug in the system which caused me to malfunction somewhere between 2013 and 2016,” referencing her controversial Bangerz era.
