Ricky Martin's 4 Kids: Everything to Know

Ricky Martin may have a long musical career, but being the father of his four children is his greatest reward.

Martin has long been open about his desire to have a large family and how the world hasn’t always made it easy for him because of his sexuality. “For many years I dreamed of becoming a father and many, many, many times I went through this grieving process of ‘I’m gay, I’m a closeted gay man, and I’m not going to be able to be a dad,'” he once said. Out magazine.

Martin started his family as a single father when he fathered twins Matteo and Valentino, 16, born via surrogate in 2008. Martin married artist Jwan Yosef in 2017. “My kids ask me about having two dads, and I tell them we’re part of a modern family,” Martin said Out magazine about his blended family. “This is a wonderful feeling of freedom.”

A few years later, the couple had their own children, daughter Lucia, 5, and son Renn, 4, via surrogate just nine months apart.

In July 2023, Martin and Yosef announced that they were divorcing after six years of marriage. In a statement, they said their children will be their main focus amid the split.

“Our greatest desire now is to continue to have a healthy family dynamic and a relationship centered on peace and friendship in order to continue raising our children together,” it reads in part.

Here’s everything you need to know about Ricky Martin’s four children.

Matteo, 16

Ricky Martin Instagram

The first arrival to a pair of fraternal twins, Matteo was born via surrogate on August 9, 2008, weighing 6 lbs. 13 oz. Matteo’s name was special to Martin, meaning “gift from God”. As a baby, Martin noticed that Matteo was very active and alert.

2020, said Martin Extra that Matteo and Valentino have his full support if they decide to pursue a career in the entertainment industry.

“When I was 12 years old, I told my father that I wanted to be an artist and he supported me. I am very grateful to my father for coming with me on this journey, so I have to do the same,” he said. “I have experience, I will clear the path for them.”

Jwan Yosef Instagram

The twins didn’t really realize their father’s fame until they were “5 or 6 years old” and were allowed to watch Martin’s performances from the crowd rather than backstage.

“They went to the front of the stage and when they came back they were like, ‘Oh, I’m home dad. You’re Ricky Martin,'” singer Kelly Clarkson said in June 2024. “It was so beautiful.”

To this day, Matteo and Valentino are Martino’s biggest critics.

Valentine, 16

Ricky Martin Instagram

Matteo’s twin brother, Valentino, was also born on August 9, 2008, minutes after his brother, weighing 5 lbs. 6 oz. Valentine’s name also has a special meaning: “brave”. According to his father, Valentino loved to sleep as a baby. “I call him Mr. Peace and Love because he’s so cool and calm,” Martin told PEOPLE at the time.

Now, as a teenager, Valentino is interested in video content and hopes to become a YouTuber one day.

“Matteo is more into art and Valentino is going to spend his life in front of the screen because he wants to be the best YouTuber in the world,” Martin said in a 2020 interview. Extra.

Valentino and Matteo became big brothers when their younger brother and sister Lucia and Renn were born in 2018 and 2019, respectively. “You know what? They’re great babysitters,” Martin told PEOPLE of his twin sons. “They automatically become big brothers. They see the baby and they just want to protect them.”

Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic

In March 2024, Matteo and Valentino made a rare red carpet appearance when they joined their father at the film’s premiere Palm Royale in Los Angeles.

Lucia, 5

Ricky Martin and daughter Lucia. Ricky Martin/Instagram

Martin’s only daughter, Lucia Martin-Yosef, was born on Dec. 24, 2018, via surrogate — the same day the “Livin’ La Vida Loca” singer was born 47 years earlier.

Martin and Yosef announced the arrival of their daughter on New Year’s Eve 2018 on Instagram. “Both her brothers and Jwan and I are totally in love with our baby and grateful to start this 2019 with the best gift we could have, the gift of life,” the caption reads.

Seven months after Lucia’s birth, Martin shared the first full photo of his little girl. “La luz de mis ojos,” Martin captioned the photo, which translates to: “the light of my eyes.”

Speaking to PEOPLE in 2020, Martin talked about what it was like to have a daughter after raising two boys. “They just gravitate towards you. They are daddy’s little girls. It’s real,” he said.

Martin gave another rare glimpse of his daughter on her third birthday in December 2021. He shared photos of him and Lucia walking on the beach together and an adorable video of Lucia running into Martin’s arms.

“This beautiful girl has a birthday on the same day as me,” Martin wrote in the caption. “December 24. Lucia Martin-Yosef, the light in my eyes, my inspiration, my motivation. You are the head of the house and we love it that way. I love you with all my being. Congratulations my daughter.”

Renn, 4

Ricky Martin Instagram

Just nine months after welcoming Lucia, Martin and Yosef welcomed their son Renn Martin-Yosef via surrogate on October 29, 2019. The couple announced his birth on Instagram, sharing a photo of themselves cradling the newborn, with the caption: “Our son Renn Martin-Yosef is born.”

In his 2020 interview Out magazine, Martin opened up about how parenting two young children is different this time than with his twins.

“Listen, I became a dad at 35, it’s not the same at 48. You need energy!” he said. “And I’m strong, believe me, I’m healthy – I carry two babies at the same time and a stroller and a backpack – but it’s a lot. It’s a big responsibility.”

Jwan Yosef Instagram

While Martin generally keeps all of his kids out of the spotlight, he shared some rare photos of his youngest, and even for a toddler, Renn seems to have a lot of personality.

When he was just 5 months old, Martin shared photos of baby Renn with hilarious facial expressions. He called his youngest “home baby” in the title.

Martin again showed Renna’s playful personality in a January 2021 post, which showed the singer kissing Renna’s cheek as he hung upside down over his dad and smiled. “My wizard. Do what he wants with me,” read Martin’s caption, translated from Spanish.

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education