Ricky Martin praises his 2 sons for being 'honest' and 'real': 'I just love them'

Ricky Martin had always wanted to be a dad and have his own family — now, he is the father of four.

During a March 20 appearance on TODAY, Martin expressed how much he loves his kids while also mentioning that his twin boys, Matteo and Valentino, can be his biggest critics.

"They're very honest. No filter," he said.

Martin said he watched his new Apple TV+ series "Palm Royale," which is out March 20, with one of his sons, and the singer found his child reading critic reviews.

"He goes, 'Dad, things are good. Things are looking really good,'" Martin said of his son's feedback on the reviews.

Martin welcomed the twins with the help of a surrogate as a single parent in 2008. Martin was accompanied by the twins at the March 14 premiere of "Palm Royale."

This marked a rare appearance by the “Livin’ La Vida Loca” singer’s sons.

"I'm very happy they came with me to the premiere. I just love them because they're real, they're honest and I bring them with me everywhere, so they are exposed to my world," Martin said on TODAY.

"They know the ins and outs of this world at a very short age."

When his sons were born, Martin had not come out as gay. It wasn’t until 2010 that he announced on his website that he was “a fortunate homosexual man.”

During a sit-down interview with Oprah Winfrey that same year, he explained that his children were the reason why he decided to make the announcement.

“When I was holding them in my arms, I was like, ‘What, am I going to teach them how to lie?’” he said. “Before I decided to become a father, I already accepted who I was and I was happy with who I was. And when I was holding my children, I said, ‘OK, it’s time to tell the world.’”

The Puerto Rican singer went on to welcome daughter Lucia and son Renn, whom he shares with his ex Jwan Yosef. In 2023, Martin filed for divorce and sought joint custody of their two children together.

In 2020, Martin told Out magazine that he feared he might never be able to be a father due to his sexuality.

“Many years I dreamt of being a father, and many, many, many times I went through this grieving process of 'I am gay, I am a closeted gay man, and I’m not going to be able to be a daddy,'” he shared, before deciding to find a surrogate. “Obviously adoption is an option and it’s very beautiful, but unfortunately for gay men it’s very difficult to adopt in some countries.”

At the time, he also shared that he would love to have a big family and “many grandkids in the future and have every Sunday filled with family but, you know, we have to see what happens.”

Here is everything to know about Ricky Martin's four children.

Matteo, 15

Born in August 2008, Matteo was first to arrive, weighing in at 6 lbs., 13 oz, according to People. The singer told the magazine that Matteo means “gift from God” and described his newborn as “more alert and active.”

In 2020, Martin shared how his twins have become more involved in his music — and are tough critics.

“They’re picky and they love music. When I come home with something that they don’t like, they have no filters. They tell you,” Martin told “Entertainment Tonight,” adding that they also share what they do like. “Especially this new single… One of the twins, he heard it and then (he’s like), ‘Nice. Yeah. This I like.’”

He also told Extra that Matteo was “more into the arts." In 2022, Matteo accompanied his famous father to the set of one of his music videos. The singer posted a photo of his son, smiling and seated in a director’s chair.

Valentino, 15

Valentino was born after his twin brother, weighing 5 lbs., 6 oz. His son’s name, Martin told People, means “brave one.”

According to the superstar, as a newborn, Valentino loved to sleep. “I call him Mr. Peace And Love because he’s so chill and serene,” he told the magazine.

While Matteo has been seen with his father on red carpets over the years, Valentino maintains a more private life away from the spotlight.

When the twins were 11, Martin shared some insight on Valentino’s interests, telling Extra his son was “gonna spend his life in front of a screen because he wants to be the best YouTuber in the world.”

The proud father told the outlet he would always support his sons’ interests.

“When I was 12 years old, I told my father that I wanted to be an artist and he supported me and I am very thankful,” he said. “So I have to do the same. I have the experience ... I will clean the path for them.”

In July 2023, Matteo and Valentino surprised Martin on stage during one of his shows.

"What a beautiful surprise! When my twins jumped on stage with me for the first time in Locarno, Switzerland. #Matteo y #Valentino," he captioned his video.

Lucia, 5

Daughter Lucia was born on Dec. 24, 2018. She and Martin share the same birthdate.

“We are beyond happy to announce that we have become parents to a beautiful and healthy baby girl, Lucia Martin-Yosef,” the actor announced on social media on Dec. 31, 2018. “It has been a special time for us and we can't wait to see where this stellar baby will take us. Both her beautiful brothers, me and Jwan have fallen in love with Lucia.”

During a 2021 interview with Ellen DeGeneres, the superstar shared how his then-2-year-old daughter "runs the house."

He recalled singing Cocomelon songs with her before she told him, “No, no, daddy. Stop, stop.”

“She doesn’t let me sing, and this is serious business,” he said.

Lucia makes rare appearances on his social media, but when she does, Martin reminds his followers that she’s “the boss of the house and we love it that way.” The singer wrote that in a photo of the two walking on the beach on their birthdays.

Renn, 4

Martin and Yosef announced the arrival of their son Renn in late October, 2019.

"Our son Renn Martin-Yosef has been born," Martin captioned the Instagram announcement.

Martin is private with baby Renn, who like his sister makes rare appearances on Instagram. When he does, they are absolutely adorable.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com