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Ricky Martin has had numerous public relationships with both men and women, came out as gay in 2010, and was married to conceptual artist Jwan Yosef for six years.
Pop star Ricky Martin has been in the spotlight ever since he joined the popular boy band Menudo at just 12 years old. He had the star power to strike out himself. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, this music icon took over the airwaves with hits like “She Bangs” and “Livin’ la Vida Loca.”
Martin had publicly had romantic relationships with a number of women, but came out as gay in a post on his website in 2010. Speaking with Andy Cohen on SiriusXM’s Andy Cohen Live in 2024, he talked about how coming out was a decision he won’t regret.
“I wish I could get out 20 times,” Martin said. “Of course I started crying like a baby. You know, when I hit send, I thought, ‘Oh, that’s it?'” My assistant, who is still my assistant, Paco was next to me, and I was like, ‘I think I need a hug.’ ”
Before revealing his sexual identity, the singer had relationships with multiple women. He told Vanity Fair in 2012: “There was love and passion there. I don’t regret anything. All my relationships, men and women, have taught me a lot.”
He also gave birth to two other children, sons Matteo and Valentino, through surrogacy in 2008. At the time, Martin appeared to have chosen to become a single mother, but she went on to have two more children with her ex-husband, Jwan Jose, a son and a daughter.
As of November 2025, Martin is officially single. In July 2024, Martin denied rumors that he was dating his best friend Nacho Palau after Spanish reporter José Manuel Parada suggested that the two were spotted sharing a moment backstage at Martin’s concert in Spain. He responded online, saying, “It’s not unrealistic. All I can do is laugh.”
Here’s everything you need to know about Ricky Martin’s real dating history so far.
rebecca de alba
Martin has been dating Mexican model and television personality Rebecca de Alba since the early 1990s. They were together for about 10 years. She told AllVipp that she “already knew” he was gay, but that the two had a passionate and sincere relationship.
“And sometimes I think, what’s the point of knowing or not knowing?” she added. “If you happen to fall head over heels in love with someone who has a different sexual orientation but is loyal and respects you, what does it matter?”
In a 2018 interview with Vulture magazine, he didn’t mention de Alba by name, but he seems to be referring to her when he talks about his musical “muse.”
“I had a girlfriend, a woman I dated on and off for nine years. She was like Gala to Dali. Dali had Gala,” he said. “And I had a wonderful woman. Unfortunately, we don’t speak anymore, but she was wonderful and powerful and knew me. She knew I was gay, but we stayed together… She knew, and we stayed together. It was one of those things, but we broke up around 1997 or 1998, and I was just working.”
Carlos Gonzalez Abela
After coming out, Martin’s first public relationship with a man was with businessman Carlos Gonzalez Abela in 2010, but they broke up four years later. A source told People magazine at the time that they were too far apart from each other.
“They spent very little time together and became estranged,” the source said. “They’ve been out for a while.”
Jwan Yosef
Martin became engaged to conceptual artist Jwan Yosef in 2016 and married in 2017. “I saw his art and fell in love with it,” Martin said in an interview on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. “I love what he’s doing, it’s really original, so I contacted him.”
They welcomed two children, Lucia, born in 2018, and Len, born in 2019, through a surrogate mother. In July 2023, they shared a statement with People announcing their divorce.
“Out of love, respect and dignity for our children and for what we have experienced as a couple over these wonderful years, we have decided to end our marriage,” the statement read. “Our greatest wish now is to maintain healthy family relationships and relationships centered on peace and friendship, and to continue to co-parent our children while maintaining respect and love for each other.”
“Ricky and Juwan have been having relationship issues for two years,” a source told Us Weekly at the time, adding that the pair “have been very open with friends about their issues.”
The two had been “going through treatment together,” but “sadly things couldn’t be resolved,” the source continued. “They plan to have 50-50 custody and remain amicable for the family.”
