Kelly Ripa Stirs Up Confusion With Christmas Post in Her ‘Underwear’

Kelly Ripa

Kelly Ripa wished fans a Merry Christmas with photos of herself and husband Mark Consuelos–but one of the images set off alarm bells in fans who thought Ripa uploaded a pic of herself in her underwear.

The slideshow shared to Instagram on Christmas Day featured two snaps of the celebrity couple looking absolutely radiant, with a fresh sun-kissed glow. "Big Nick Energy 🎅 Christmas 2023," they captioned their joint Monday, Dec. 25 upload. Cheerfully adding, "#MerryChristmas."

In the first picture, the duo stood before a brightly-lit Christmas tree in dark-clad ensembles, with Consuelos, 52, donning a black button-up dress shirt while Ripa, 53, stunned in a sparkling deep-V gown.

The second snap, however, is where things got a little confusing for the long-running Live! talk show host. For the photo, the couple of co-hosts rocked matching t-shirts outfitted with a winky-face cartoon Santa and the phrase "Big Nick Energy." The Hope & Faith alum sported a pair of dark green bikini bottoms and added a black sequin Santa hat for a little extra razzle-dazzle.

While they were clearly both clothed and standing before what appeared to be a cabana-style bed, all Ripa's Instagram followers paid any attention to were her bikini bottoms–which many mistook for a pair of underwear.

"I think maybe crop out the underwear 😂," one top-liked comment read. "Merry Christmas!"

"Kelly why show us your [underwear]," another inquired.

A third joked that the mom of three forgot her pants, "Kelly forgot to put on pants 😂."

"Really need to see your underwear 🤦🏼‍♀️," someone else wrote.

"So you had to show your underwear??!?!" a different disgruntled fan asked.

Despite the confusion, a few fans who came to the award-winning talk show host's defense.

"People!!!! It’s a swimsuit!!!’ Can’t you see the cabana in the background!!! 🙄🙄 and if it was underwear, it’s her intsa, she can post what she wants!! Good grief," one Instagram user replied.

"Yes people leave her alone for Pete’s sake !!!" a second added. "You’re just jealous."

While it's easy to mistake bikini bottoms for bikini-style underwear, as others have already pointed out, context clues are crucial. And even if she did pose in her undies, she's an adult and it is her social media account–let her live!

Next: Mark Consuelos Shows Off Chiseled 6-Pack During Cold Plunge Segment on 'Live'