Ricky Martin is a devoted dad to four kids, and he's certainly proud of it. But despite always wanting children, he didn't always think he'd be able to be a father.
The singer spoke to Out Magazine, explaining: "Many years I dreamt of being a father, and many, many, many times I went through this grieving process of 'I am gay, I am a closeted gay man, and I'm not going to be able to be a daddy."
Ricky revealed that he was partially motivated to come out because of his children, as he said on Sirius XM's Andy Cohen Live that his father advised him: "Especially when I became a father, he said, 'What are you going to [do] teach your kids, to lie? You gotta be open. You gotta go out... I want to help you. How can we do this?'"
He decided: "I'm like, 'All right, dad, I'm working on it. Gimme a second. I don't know how. I don't know if it's through an interview. I don't know if I want to write a letter and tweet it. I don't know. Gimme a break. It'll come.'"
Ricky is father to four kids: he had twin sons Matteo and Valentino in 2008, and then daughter Lucia and son Renn in 2018 and 2019 respectively. He shares his four kids with ex-husband Jwan-Yosef.
Here's all you need to know about Ricky Martin's kids.
Matteo and Valentino, 16
Ricky welcomed his twins, Matteo and Valentino, on August 9, 2008 via gestational surrogacy. The former weighed 6 lbs. 13 oz., while the latter arrived minutes later, weighing 5 lbs. 6 oz.
The singer's rep said of their birth: "Ricky is elated to begin this new chapter in his life as a parent and will be spending the remainder of the year out of the public spotlight in order to spend time with his children."
Early on, the twins began to show their dad just how different they are. Ricky described Matteo as awake and alert, while Valentino was more "chill and serene."
In 2020, their differences continued to present themselves as Ricky told Extra: "Matteo is more into the arts and Valentino is gonna spend his life in front of a screen because he wants to be the best YouTuber in the world."
His sons are growing tall, like their father, and while they may not make many public appearances, they showed their support on the red carpet for their dad earlier this year for the premiere of Palm Royale.
Lucia, five
10 years after welcoming sons Matteo and Valentino, Ricky's only daughter, Lucia Martin-Yosef, was born on December 24, 2018, via surrogate. The father-daughter duo share the same birthday, meaning that December 24 is an ultras special occasion in his household.
In 2021, he shared a photo of himself holding his daughter's hand as they walked along the beach to celebrate the special day together, penning a heartfelt message to Lucia online.
The translation read: "This beautiful girl has her birthday on the same day as me. On December 24. Lucia Martin-Yosef, the light of my eyes, my inspiration, my motivation. You're the boss of the house and we love it that way. I love you with all my being. Congratulations my daughter."
After raising two boys, Ricky revealed that having a daughter certainly had its differences, as he said: "They just gravitate towards you. They’re Daddy’s little girl. It’s real."
According to the singer, Lucia has expressed an interest in music, as he said in Interview Magazine: "I have a daughter, Lucia, she's only 5 years old, and I took her to the pediatrician last week and the doctor asked, 'Lucia, what do you want to be when you grow up?' And she said, 'I want to be a singer.'"
Renn, four
Just nine months after welcoming Lucia, Ricky and his husband Jwan welcomed another son, Renn, via surrogate on October 29, 2019. They announced his birth on Instagram with an adorable photo of them cradling their newborn.
Ricky has shared a number of rare photos of his kids, showing that Renn is growing his hair long.