Ricky Martin

The Puerto Rican superstar on parenting, protests, and the past, present, and future of the Latin pop revolution

- SUZY EXPOSITO

Ricky Martin had been an international star for years before “Livin’ La Vida Loca” topped the U.S. charts — and he’s hardly seen a dull moment in the two decades since. In 2010, the Puerto Rican singer came out to his fans as a gay man; nearly 10 years later, he received his first Emmy nomination, for his role in The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story. This spring, Martin — now a father of four with his husband, Syrian-born artist Jwan Yosef — released a new EP, Pausa, featuring collaborations with Sting and Bad Bunny. It’s a busy life, but he’s taken it all in stride, at least until Covid-19 hit. “Before this pandemic, I had no issues,” Martin, 48, says with a laugh. “I’m a delegator, I have a great team. But when this pandemic hit us ... I started going crazy!”

You live in a beautiful house in Beverly Hills. Does that make quarantine any easier?

I have a very loud house, in the sense that I have kids. We’re under a strict quarantine because my mom is here. It’s very severe — I think that’s the only way we can stop this from doing more harm. But I am very lucky. I am in a comfortable home where my kids can play. Whenever your head goes the wrong way, you just look at your kids, your husband, your mother, and you [think], “We’ve got to shape up.”