The lights of the UBS Arena in New York shone bright on September 7th, for the MTV Video Music Awards 2025. Ricky Martin stepped onto the stage, a true legend, to accept the very first Latin Icon Award. It was a huge moment, a nod to his amazing career in Latin music. As he held his new trophy, his words went straight to the heart: “Everything I do, I do thinking of you,” he said, dedicating the honor to his four children.
This special award comes 26 years after Ricky first wowed the VMAs crowd back in 1999. That night, he also made history. He became the very first male Latin artist to snag the Best Pop Video award for his mega-hit, “Livin’ la Vida Loca.” It’s clear, Ricky Martin has been a trailblazer for decades.
A Peek into Ricky’s Home Life: His Kids
When Ricky speaks of his children, his pride is clear. They are the heart of his world. First came the twins, Matteo and Valentino. They are now 17 years old, born through surrogacy in 2008.
Later, his family grew with Lucía, who arrived on December 24, 2018. Fun fact: that’s also Ricky’s birthday! Then came Renn in October 2019. Lucía and Renn also joined the family via surrogacy. Ricky shares custody of his kids with his ex-husband, Jwan Yosef. The couple was married from 2017 to 2023. These four kids are truly his biggest motivation.
Ricky Martin. Photo by Michele Crowe/CBS via Getty Images
The Family Tree: Parents and Siblings
Behind the global icon stands a strong family that helped shape him. His mother, Nereida Morales, worked as a public accountant. His father, Enrique Martín Negroni, was a psychologist and used to be a regional supervisor for a mental health agency in Puerto Rico. They separated when Ricky was only two years old.
Even with the divorce, Ricky grew up with both parents nearby. He split his childhood between his father’s house in University Gardens, San Juan, and his paternal grandmother’s home.
Ricky, now 53, also has some interesting family roots on his father’s side. His grandfather was Enrique Martín y Millán, and his paternal grandmother was Iraida Negroni y Arizmendi. Through them, Ricky connects to ancestors from Segovia, Spain. There’s even a Corsican link to local high society in Puerto Rico, as reported by Vox Bliss. It’s quite a storied background for the pop star.
Ricky also has a few half-siblings, making his family quite diverse. From his mother’s side, there are Fernando and Ángel Fernández Morales. On his father’s side, he has Eric Martín, who is a fitness specialist, and Daniel Martín, who runs a digital marketing agency. He also has a younger sister named Vanessa Martín. While some of his siblings prefer to stay out of the public eye, others, like Eric and Daniel, sometimes show up on social media or offer public support to the artist.
Ricky’s Vision for Music
Earlier in 2025, Ricky Martin shared his thoughts on his long career and global impact. “Today it doesn’t matter what language you sing in,” he told The Project in April. “It’s all about how truly and honestly you perform. That’s what people feel.”
He pointed to artists like Bad Bunny as a great example. Bad Bunny’s music is heard around the world, even though all his songs are in Spanish. Ricky believes this shows that real emotion and talent cross all language barriers.