The Untold Truth Of Marc Anthony
Marc Anthony has enjoyed the kind of success that most of us can only dream about. "Throughout his 30 plus year career, Marc Anthony has created hit after hit," The Oprah Magazine notes, adding, "the 50-year-old Puerto Rican singer is one of the top-selling tropical salsa artists of all time, with the Guinness World Records titles to prove it." Indeed, in 2016, the star earned the record for being the man behind the "Most year-end best-selling albums in the tropical albums' chart by a solo artist." Now that's impressive! That being said, there's much more to Anthony than just his musical success.
The popular performer is also the ex-husband of Jennifer Lopez, who thrust him into a spotlight that was even wider than the Latin music scene that he already dominated. And while their marriage was definitely buzz-worthy to fans of both celebrities, Anthony isn't the kind of famous figure to let his personal life define his professional persona. In fact, he tends to keep the majority of his private life away from the view of the public, which is why there are plenty of things that you might not know about him.
From a rollercoaster-like romantic life and a devastating personal tragedy to unexpected professional endeavors and enviable assets, you'll surely be stunned by some of the untold truths of this engaging, intriguing, and occasionally surprising star.
Marc Anthony's experience with marriage is complicated
Marc Anthony is famous for his love songs. Just take a listen to "I Need to Know," "You Sang to Me," and "No Me Ames." Do they make you sizzle, make you sentimental, or make you sniffle? Yeah, that's the heart-pumping, heart-stirring, and heart-wrenching effect his music has on listeners. However, even though Anthony is often the voice behind touching tunes, his real-life relationships haven't led to a happily-ever-after for the star. The performer has enjoyed (or endured) a wild ride when it comes to his romantic life.
While his marriage to Jennifer Lopez is well-known, he's actually been married three times, according to Hola!. Along with other serious relationships, Anthony wed former Miss Universe Dayanara Torres in 2000. She filed for divorce in January 2004 when he "found a new love," — Lopez — who he married in June of that same year. They were together for seven years, finalizing their divorce in 2014. He then married model Shannon de Lima in November 2014, but that union only lasted for two years (after a cheeky on-stage kiss with J.Lo at the Latin Grammys).
Following his split with de Lima, Anthony dated 21-year-old model Mariana Downing in 2017, and when that didn't last, he was spotted in 2019 with 28-year-old model Jessica Lynne Harris. Only time will tell if this latest relationship turns into the star's fourth (and final) marriage.
The singer is a father to six kids
During Marc Anthony's marriage to Jennifer Lopez, the couple welcomed two children into the world in 2008: twins Emme Maribel and Maximilian David Muñiz (which is Anthony's real last name). However, those aren't Anthony's only kids. In fact, he's the father of six children.
The Oprah Magazine breaks down Anthony's life as a parent, noting that he "first welcomed a daughter, Arianna, with girlfriend Debbie Rosado in 1994. They later adopted a son, Chase Muñiz." After he split from Rosado and married Dayanara Torres, the husband and wife had two sons between 2000 and 2004, who they named Christian and Ryan Muñiz.
Anthony opened up to People en Español about parenting in 2019, saying, "I try to make the effort to see all my kids during breaks as much as possible. Thank God all my children know that their father doesn't have the 9 to 5 grind... They understand that my work takes me away from home for long periods of time." However, he also admitted to CBS that he regrets that his career "took so much" of his time. "What I would have done to have been a stay-at-home dad, and, you know, witnessed every second of everything," he said. "I would have loved that." While it obviously "[d]idn't work out that way," he explained that he considers it "the biggest sacrifice" that he's made, which makes him "start to wonder, was it all worth it?"
Marc Anthony experienced a 'family tragedy'
Marc Anthony is the youngest child of Guillermina Quiñones and Felipe Muñiz, the mother and father of eight children who the Puerto Rican parents raised in New York City's East Harlem neighborhood. Sadly, the family suffered a heartbreaking loss when Anthony's sister, Maribel, who was nine years old at the time, died of brain cancer, according to Hola!. The experience "affected Marc deeply and stayed with him for the rest of his life." It also prompted him to help others who face life-threatening and life-changing health conditions.
When Anthony's daughter with Jennifer Lopez, Emme, experienced her own health scare (which involved her parents finding "a mysterious lump on their little girl's head") they were able to take the child to a hospital where she was deemed to be alright. Although things turned out fine for them, "the incident got [both the singer and his wife at the time] thinking about families out there who wouldn't be so lucky, and may not have access to great health care." Because of this, "they were inspired to set up the Maribel Foundation — named after Marc's late sister — to provide pediatric care to those in need."
Now called the Lopez Family Foundation, the organization is dedicated to "advocat[ing] and invest[ing] in policies and programs that make a positive, measurable impact on communities and makes quality healthcare and health education available for underserved mothers and their children." No doubt a touching tribute to Maribel's memory.
His relationship with scientology is a bit foggy
There are quite a few stars who identify as Scientologists, including Tom Cruise, John Travolta, Kirstie Alley, Lisa Marie Presley, and, perhaps, Marc Anthony. "Through the years, the Church of Scientology has recruited countless celebrities to become members," dished Us Weekly. "In the 1950s, founder L. Ron Hubbard created what became known as 'Project Celebrity,' a written program that offers rewards to Scientologists who bring in some of the biggest names in Hollywood." Beyond that, the "controversial religion also operates Celebrity Centres, which are special churches" that "cater to" famous figures.
While many stars who are associated with Scientology claim that it improves their lives in one way or another, it may have had a negative effect on Anthony's marriage with Jennifer Lopez. Glamour explains that "Jennifer and Marc couldn't see eye-to-eye on the subject." Apparently, she was "more into the church than him." Frankly, he supposedly "wasn't a huge fan and it caused problems." What kind of problems? Well, the former couple is "thought to have argued over J.Lo's intentions to send their three-year-old twins, Max and Emme, to a Scientology school."
However, according to the Daily Beast, former Scientologist, Leah Remini, who wrote a tell-all book about the subject and who is also Lopez's best friend, says that the "I'm Real" singer and daughter of "a very indoctrinated Scientologist" saw through the "cult." We wonder if the same can be said about Anthony.
He was a backup singer for Ricky Martin's band Menudo
Marc Anthony may be one of the most successful solo Latin singers ever to grace the scene with his music-making talent, but years ago he performed with the Latin sensation supergroup Menudo. According to Seventeen, the old-school boy band "formed in 1977, taking Latin America and the rest of the world by storm." While other similar groups tend to stick with their crush-worthy lineups in order to capitalize on fans' (sometimes obsessive) devotion, Menudo was "the boy band that [was] forever young" due to the fact that "[w]hen a band member turned 16, or whenever his voice started to crack, it was time to move on." One of those boys was Ricky Martin, and another was (sort of) Anthony.
To be clear, while the "Livin' La Vida Loca" singer was one of the young stars to spend a few of his formative years with Menudo — brought on when he was only 12 years old — Anthony "was just a back-up singer for the group during the Ricky Martin era!"
However, that might have been a good thing for Anthony, as Martin later admitted that "Menudo cost him his childhood," according to The Guardian. He explained, "I became a rock 'n' roll star slash sex symbol at a very young age. ... Was I ready for that? I don't know." Thankfully for Anthony, he was much older when he became a famous object of affection.
Marc Anthony has been in a lot of movies
Marc Anthony is one famous singer who also occasionally dabbles in acting. Frankly, he's popped up in more productions than you might have realized. If you're a fan of films, then you can spot him in roles (of various sizes) in popular movies like 1993's crime-fuelled thriller Carlito's Way, 1995's cult classic Hackers starring Angelina Jolie and Jonny Lee Miller, and The Substitute, an action-filled drama from 1996.
Anthony also played New York City cop Nick Renata on 12 episodes of TNT's Hawthorne from 2010 to 2011, and spoke about his time on the medical drama, saying that its star, Jada Pinkett Smith, apparently made him want to "absolutely" stick with acting. "I feel more capable than ever," he said in 2010 in a phone interview with Variety.
That's perhaps why Anthony took on a role in the 2021 movie version of Lin-Manuel Miranda's Tony Award-winning musical In the Heights, which is being brought to the screen by The Warner Bros. "Okay I actually can't hold it in anymore. Sonny's father will be played by @MarcAnthony," Miranda announced on Twitter in June 2019. While Playbill points out that "[t]he role of Sonny's father ... wasn't featured in the stage musical," Miranda explained, "It's a brief but pivotal role. ...And I still can't believe it." We're sure Anthony was just as excited about the opportunity.
Marc Anthony was in a Broadway musical by Paul Simon
Marc Anthony may be used to dominating the musical stage and willing to appear on screen in film and television roles, but it also may be why he felt confident enough to join the cast of a Broadway musical in 1998. The Capeman from Paul Simon "tells the true life story of Salvador Agron, a Puerto Rican gang member who murdered two teenagers in the late 1950s, then underwent a conversion as a poet while in prison," as revealed by Playbill. Unfortunately for Anthony, the musical received rather harsh reviews. "The Capeman [is] like watching a mortally wounded animal," The New York Times dished (via Playbill). "You're only worry that it has to suffer and that there's nothing you can do about it." Oof!
The musical also "opened ... to protests" by "[f]amily members of the real-life victims [who] demonstrated at the opening night performance." The group "wav[ed] signs that said 'Remember the Victims, Remember our Children.'" They also "hand[ed] out anti-Agron poetry, and complain[ed] to reporters that Simon was exploiting the murders."
In the end, the New York Post notes that The Capeman "lost $11 million on Broadway in 1998, and earned Simon the nickname 'The Flopman.'" It certainly didn't do Anthony's career any good, however, while he may not have enjoyed the kind of success in the musical theater world that he had surely hoped for, it also didn't seem to hurt his overall success either.
From the music industry to the sports world
Marc Anthony may be known as a singer, but he took a professional step in to the sports world when he became a part-owner of the NFL's Miami Dolphins in 2009. "I'm not doing this as a singer; I'm not doing this as an actor," he said, according to ESPN. "[It's] just because I love football. [Fellow owner Stephen Ross] and I, our visions are in sync, and this is a great, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be a part of Steve's vision."
Anthony also opened up about the football-based venture while talking to People. "I'm a huge sports fan," he said. "These opportunities don't come around too often. It's quite an honor and a privilege to be able to sit here today saying that I'm a part-owner of an NFL team."
The Latin music singer was joining two other celebrities who bought in as minority owners of the team: former Miami Sound Machine singer Gloria Estefan and her husband, producer Emilio Estefan. Apparently, the three stars were brought on board as part of Ross' effort "to reach out to new fans, and in South Florida, that automatically includes the Hispanic community." Perhaps the three part-owners and music-makers should team up for one stellar performance at a Miami Dolphins game in order to get long-time and potential fans really excited about the team and everyone who's involved with it.
Six million dollar babies
Before celebs started introducing their babies to the world via Instagram, there was money to be made by selling pics of the newborns to high-paying publications. Marc Anthony and his then-wife Jennifer Lopez were among the famous parents who banked on their babies when they sold pics of their twins for $6 million, which earned People an "exclusive March 2008 photo spread with Emme and Max," according to E! News.
The Daily Mail noted that, at the time, the "pay-out ... set an industry record." In comparison, Business Insider points out that Britney Spears sold the first public photos of her son, Sean Preston, to People in 2005 for $500,000, while the pop star's sister, Jamie Lynn Spears, was paid $1 million for a look at her daughter, Maddie Briann Aldridge, in July 2008.
Other famous parents have made various amounts, such as Nicole Richie and Joel Madden ($1 million), Jessica Alba and Cash Warren ($1.5 million), Christina Aguilera ($1.5 million), and Matthew McConaughey ($3 million). But it's Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt that top the list. The former couple was paid $4.1 million for photos of their newborn, Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt, and $11 to $15 million from People and Hello! to give fans a peek at their twins, Vivienne and Knox Jolie-Pitt. While Anthony didn't make as much as the latter pair of parents, it seems like he did pretty darn well in the grand money-making schemes of things.
Marc Anthony lives close to Jenny's block
Considering Marc Anthony is the father of six children, it makes sense that he needs a big house in order to have room for each one. However, in the star's super-rich world, having a big house means spending $19 million on what Architectural Digest calls a massive "palatial ... estate."
A property once owned by the Rum-rich Bacardi family, the star purchased the stunningly large home in Coral Gables, Florida, back in 2018. Sitting on a "sprawling" 1.3-acre corner lot that boasts "480 square feet of water frontage" and "direct access to Biscayne Bay," the three-story house known as Casa Costanera spans 20,546 square feet. That means there's plenty of space for the home's 12 bedrooms and 13 and a half bathrooms as well as its "three kitchens, separate quarters for staff or guests, [and] a spacious wine cellar." Thankfully for anyone who's trying to make their way around the massive abode, there's also "a commercial elevator to help transport guests and residents between floors." Anyone who wants to spend a little time outside can either enjoy the swimming pool or dip their toes in the water directly from the 100-foot dock.
As if all of that wasn't enough to entice Anthony to hold onto this obvious gem, the home is also "about two miles away from ex-wife Jennifer Lopez" who also happens to be best friends with Anthony after all these years.
Marc Anthony has faced serious financial issues
Marc Anthony is a rich man. But have you ever wondered how rich? Well, TMZ pointed out in 2014 that he once claimed to be making $1.25 million every month, which may seem like a shocking amount, but that's the kind of money-making momentum that's helped him build a fortune of $80 million, per Celebrity Net Worth.
However, Anthony has plenty of people to support with that money — specifically, his six kids. During the star's child support negotiations with his ex-wife, Dayanara Torres, he was asked to start paying $113,000 a month for their two children, which was a significant increase from the $13,000 per month that he had been paying (or $28,416 a month if you include both spousal and child support). On top of that, Anthony claimed to be "paying $18K a month in child support in other relationships," possibly "for the twins he had with Jennifer Lopez."
While Anthony found himself involved in a "nasty child support fight," he also faced issues when it came to paying the government. The star found himself in trouble when he owed $1.8 million in back taxes after already being "hit ... up for an uncollected $1.6 million." If that's not all, "he was [also] asked for $2.5 million after taking a four-year tax hiatus," according to NBC. Apparently, this is one celebrity who needs to take some of his career-savviness and apply it to financial matters.