Kelly Ripa has been a staple of daytime television for decades, known for her quick wit, warm demeanor, and bubbly personality. But behind the sunny presence she brings to Live with Kelly and Mark, the TV host has faced moments of serious health challenges, mental health battles, and deeply personal experiences with cancer affecting her friends and family.

From a frightening hospitalization to bouts of depression and anxiety, and her long-standing advocacy for cancer research, Ripa’s story is a reminder that even the most seemingly vibrant public figures are not immune to life’s more difficult realities.

A Frightening Hospitalization

In her 2022 memoir, Live Wire: Long-Winded Short Stories, Ripa opened up about a particularly scary health scare. She described how she was being intimate with her husband, actor Mark Consuelos, when she suddenly passed out and woke up in the hospital. Doctors later determined the cause was two ruptured ovarian cysts — a relatively common but intensely painful condition.

Though she made a full recovery, Ripa admitted the ordeal was both terrifying and, in retrospect, slightly embarrassing. In his rush to get her to the hospital, Consuelos dressed her in a somewhat chaotic ensemble: a leotard, red Manolo Blahnik heels, and oversized warm-up pants.

“[H]ere is my husband, who is, dare I say, stylish, well-dressed at all times, and yet he dressed me like a dime store prostitute in my time of need,” she joked in her memoir, revealing she could laugh at the incident now — though at the time, the health scare was anything but humorous.

Struggles with Depression and Anxiety

While Ripa’s public image radiates confidence and charisma, she has been candid about her struggles with mental health. In Live Wire, she revealed that she suffers from severe social anxiety disorder, often finding herself saying awkward or inappropriate things when under pressure.

She also described battling depression that left her physically and emotionally drained.

“I have a hard time getting out of bed in the morning. … I feel like I’m in physical pain. My hair hurts. I have no energy at all,” Ripa told her therapist at one point.

She recalled feeling constantly distracted, overwhelmed, and tearful. “I cry in the shower. I cry myself to sleep. I cry backstage. I sometimes want to cry in the middle of the show. Sometimes I feel like I can’t breathe,” she admitted.

Therapy, Ripa says, has been essential in helping her cope. She credits her therapist with giving her tools to manage her anxiety and depression, encouraging her to become a better self-advocate and reframe how she approaches her busy, high-pressure career.

Cancer’s Impact on Her Life

Cancer has touched Ripa’s life both personally and through her advocacy work. In 2011, she partnered with appliance maker Electrolux for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, participating in a virtual sleepover event to raise funds for ovarian cancer research.

Ripa explained that her involvement was motivated by personal loss:

“A close friend and neighbor of mine growing up died when she was younger than I am now of ovarian cancer, and she never really even knew she was sick. She never knew she had the disease until it was too late.”

Cancer has also affected her family directly. Both her mother, Esther Ripa, and her mother-in-law, Camilla Consuelos, have battled and overcome the disease. Their survivorship has fueled Ripa’s commitment to raising awareness and funds for cancer research.

In 2015, she co-hosted Super Saturday NY with designer Donna Karan — a high-end garage sale and kids’ carnival — to benefit the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund. It was one of many charitable events Ripa has taken part in to support those affected by cancer.

A Public Figure with a Private Resilience

Kelly Ripa’s ability to remain a joyful, relatable presence on television while privately managing health scares, mental health struggles, and family battles with cancer speaks to her resilience.

She has used her platform not only to entertain but also to shed light on issues often kept in the shadows — from the silent suffering of depression and anxiety to the urgency of cancer research and early detection.

Her story is a reminder that behind the camera-ready smile is a human being navigating the same challenges so many others face — and using her voice to make a difference.