All language subtitles for BEHIND THE MUSIC - 1 - Documentary (2021) -Hr

[ indistinct conversations ]

- Yeah.
- Lead mark.

Action!

♪♪♪

RICKY: I really hope
I've changed a lot

since the last time we did
this documentary.

I am analyzing. I am...
well, who am I? [ laughs ]

♪ Siente lo que siento yo ♪

♪ Derritiendo el frío
porque... ♪

NARRATOR: He's an international
symbol of joy and freedom.

♪ De la tierra
son las estrellas ♪

♪ Y del cielo son los pioneros ♪

[ speaking Spanish ]

♪ Lo baila la calle ♪

Ricky Martin has worked
his entire life

to make his fans happy.

I love what I do.
I love being on stage.

I love the reaction
of the audience.

- ♪ Habla pueblo, cántalo ♪
- [ audience cheering ]

From his childhood in Menudo...

♪ Hold me, and you tell me ♪

Little Ricky went through a lot,
and I just hold him

in my arms, in my mind
every day now.

...to leading the Latin new wave
into the pop mainstream...

♪ Upside, inside out ♪

♪ Livin' la vida loca♪

We were playing
to 90,000 people

with people fainting
left and right.

Ricky! Ricky!

That's all that I worked for--
that level of fame.

And then when I had it,
I was afraid.

[ shouting at once ]

Ricky was a heartthrob
to millions.

♪ It's a private emotion ♪

But privately,
he was struggling with a secret.

I was trying to believe so hard
from the bottom of my heart,

that I was not gay,
so it was very confusing.

The media thinks, "I'm gonna be
the one who outs him."

They're so in the face.

That pushed me away
from really allowing myself

to feel and accept myself.

But fatherhood became
a major turning point

in his life.

My babies were born.

What, am I gonna teach them
how to lie?

♪ My crying days
are now history ♪

♪ History ♪

Ricky was finally able to share
his truth with the world.

I wish I could come out again.
[ laughs ]

It just felt great. It felt--
it felt beautiful.

♪ Tonight's the night ♪

Now a decade
after Ricky Martin's

last episode
of "Behind the Music" aired,

he's reflecting on key moments
of his life...

Ah, what a night.

...giving new insights
to the past...

Instead of being completely
seduced by all this anxiety

that I was feeling,
I forced myself into the studio,

and music became my medicine.

...and with a look
towards the future.

I have four babies

and a beautiful husband
that I am so in love with.

We're normalizing what
a beautiful, modern family is.

♪ Ya no sé por qué peleamos ♪

It was very emotional
and very beautiful

to just remember where I was

and obviously celebrating
where I'm at,

because all the fears that were
seducing me back then

no longer exist.

♪ Nada con tiburones ♪

♪♪♪

This is "Ricky Martin:
the Story Behind the Music."

♪♪♪

In July of 2019, Ricky Martin
returned to the streets

of the city where he was born--
San Juan, Puerto Rico...

♪ Siente lo que siento you ♪

...this time to participate
in a massive protest

against government corruption.

Corruption--it is insane.

It's pretty much barbaric
what he's doing.

We're tired and we're angry.

♪ De la tierra
son las estrellas ♪

♪ Y del cielo son los pioneros ♪

[ speaking Spanish ]

¿Quién le tiene miedo al sereno?

♪ Lo baila la calle ♪

♪ Que cante mi gente ♪

Ricky has worked for decades
to realize his personal dreams.

But now he is drawn
to a higher purpose.

I am loud and proud,
and I celebrate every--

everything that I am.

I wanna do things
that will be of impact

for the world
when it comes to healing.

♪♪♪

♪ Habla pueblo, cántalo ♪

Ricky's journey began
on Christmas Eve 1971.

He was born into
a middle class family

in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

♪♪♪

Ricky grew up immersed

in the island's
traditional culture,

steeped in Catholicism
and machismo.

You go to school,
and the first thing

they ask you when
you come back home is, like,

"Do you already have
a girlfriend?"

Automatically,
society tells you that

that's what you're supposed
to feel.

You're not supposed
to feel this,

and if you feel this, there's
something really bad going on.

As a child, Ricky always had
a deep desire to perform.

I love being onstage,
and if it was in school,

and, uh, plays, it just felt
really comfortable

to be in front of an audience.

By the age of 8,
he was already earning money

acting in commercials.

ANNOUNCER:Con el spaghetti
con albóndigas, Chef Boyardee.

NARRATOR: But Ricky had
his sights set on Menudo,

the Puerto Rican boy band that
had become a global sensation.

ANNOUNCER: Menudo!

[ audience screaming ]

RICKY: Menudo was a legend.

REPORTER: What do you like
about Menudo?

- Uh, they're cute.
- I love them.

REPORTER: What if one of them
was standing right here?

[ screaming ]

And it was probably
the biggest music phenomenon

that has existed.

Bigger than the Beatles.

♪ Under my pillow ♪

AUDIENCE: ♪ Oh, my love ♪

♪ Oh, oh, oh ♪

The concept of Menudo was that

every time a kid reached
certain age,

once they looked too old,
they had to leave the group.

Menudo was the only possible way

for me to make it
to the spotlight.

So I auditioned like crazy
to become part of that band.

♪ Oh, oh, oh, my love ♪

[ laughs ]

[ laughs ]

♪ I'll always be around ♪

♪ I just want you to hold me ♪

Menudo's intense work ethic
paid off

with success on a massive scale
throughout Latin America,

Europe, and Asia.

Wherever
Ricky and the band went,

they were engulfed by a sea
of crazed female fans.

I mean, when you're 12 years old
and you're in front

of 200,000 people,
and people are telling you,

"Yeah, man, you're the best,"
you become like a little god.

♪ Let me hold you ♪

Let me move my hips. [ laughs ]

'Cause every time I move
my hips, they scream.

I look at this video, and I see
myself as a 12-year-old child.

And I just think about my twins.
They're now 12.

I asked my parents, "How did you
feel the first time you saw me

going on a plane and not knowing
when I was gonna come back?"

So I put myself in their shoes
today.

I'm like, oh, my God.
How did they do it?

My kids--if they want
to be artists,

of course I will support them,

but my question is,
how am I gonna survive

if I see them, you know,
leaving my house

and never coming back
and "See you in three months"?

I'll be, uh... [ stammers ]

Listen, right now, just--
just having this conversation,

I'm hyper... [ exhales sharply ]
ventilating,

and I don't know what
I'm gonna do...

[ exhales sharply ]
with all these emotions

that I'm feeling right now.

I'm just imagining my kids
leaving for good. I can't.

♪ Just a gigolo ♪

♪ Everywhere I go ♪

♪ People know the part
I'm playing ♪

As he entered his mid-teens,
Ricky was struggling

with conflicted feelings
about his sexuality.

He knew he was different.

♪ I ain't got nobody ♪

When you're 15, 16,
you start feeling things.

And my emotions and what I
represented were not compatible.

Wow.

'Cause I was a sex symbol.
I was part of a boy band,

and my mission was to make
girls scream.

♪ Nobody cares about me ♪

♪♪♪

Little Ricky went through a lot.

Now I'm analyzing and, yeah, he,
you know, he was on the road.

When he was 12 years old,
he was alone in hotel rooms.

And I just hold him in my arms
and in my mind every day now,

and It's--It feels amazing.

I don't have my phone with me
right now,

but when I turn it on, uh,
I have a picture of little Ricky

when I was 6 years old.

I tell him that
everything's going to be fine,

that it is going to get bumpy,

but it's okay
'cause we're strong.

And every decision
that I make today,

I make this decision thinking
that you're next to me,

because that child felt lonely
at times.

That child felt really scared
at times.

And, um, and sometimes
I wanted to forget

about how painful it is
to be scared.

So I just pushed through
and I kept moving,

and--and at times I forgot
about little Ricky.

But my priority today is just
to be in touch--

in touch with him.

It is part of my therapy
to be constantly reminded

about little Ricky's feelings,
and it's good for me.

It's good for my music.
It's good for my kids.

It's even good for my husband.

We all win when we are in touch
with little Ricky.

Through his teenage years,

Ricky kept his feelings
a secret,

never uttering a word
to his bandmates.

Maybe because of my religion
or maybe because society

was telling me that my emotions,
my feelings, uh, were not good.

In fact, they were--
maybe they were evil.

♪♪♪

I was like, but this is me.
How come I feel this?

It doesn't feel--it's not right,
what I'm feeling?

Okay, forget it.
I don't wanna think about it.

Okay, let's keep working.

ALL: Hello! We are Menudo.

But after five years
of relentless work

and emotional denial,
Ricky was burned out.

It was all about,
"You sing the song.

You do this. You do that."
So I didn't know who I was.

I needed to move on.
I was really confused.

[ speaking Spanish ]

In July of 1989
at the age of 17,

Ricky said goodbye to Menudo.

I was really tired.

I didn't even know if I wanted
to stay in show business.

All good things come to an end.

I just wanted to feel what it
was to be anonymous

and to walk down the street
without being recognized.

I needed that relief.

But after taking a year off,
18-year-old Ricky

was ready to get back to work.

[ singing in Spanish ]

In 1990, he moved to Mexico City

to take a role
in musical theater

and soon was cast in
a popular Mexican soap opera.

[ speaking Spanish ]

[ laughs and kisses ]

Ricky sang the theme song
for the series,

and within months, Sony Music
offered him a record deal.

It was like a domino effect,
and I was--

I was not saying no.

♪ Fuego contra fuego as amar ♪

In 1991, Ricky released
his self-titled solo debut.

♪ Fuego del que
no puedo escapar ♪

The first single was
an instant hit in Mexico.

And Ricky set off
on an aggressive tour

of Latin America.

He was determined to be
the first member of Menudo

to launch
a successful solo career.

♪ Enciende tu motor ♪

♪ Yo soy tu dirección ♪

♪ Na-na-na-na, na-na-na, na-na ♪

I worked so much
for that gold album,

long days of intense work,
interviews, television shows.

♪ Ven y ven y ven ♪

♪ Dime que me quieres ♪

I worked tirelessly.

[ laughs ]
I wanted to be number one.

Ricky was branded as
a romantic heartthrob.

♪ Dime que me quieres ♪

♪ En la intimidad ♪

And offstage,
he was trying to live up

to the public's expectations.

I was trying to believe so hard
from the bottom of my heart

that I was not gay because
what I was presenting onstage

was not that.

So it was very confusing.

♪♪♪

Things got even more confusing
when he found himself

falling for TV host
Rebecca de Alba.

One night, we were at this club,

and I never imagined in my life

that he was attracted to me.

And I'm talking, when I turn
around to say something to him,

then he was kissing me.

I said,
"Wait, why did you do that?"

And he said, "Why not?"

Sometimes you just can't explain

what it is exactly
that attracts you to someone,

that amazing magnetism

Ricky reaffirms that
his love affair with Rebecca

was very passionate
and very real.

Everything that I felt
at that moment was pure.

A lot of people might say,

"Well, you're--you were
trying to justify yourself.

"Maybe you were trying
to prove yourself something

or you were
forcing yourself to."

♪♪♪

It is complicated.
I wish...I had the answer,

but at that moment,
it felt real. It felt amazing.

He was totally crazy about her.

He was in love with her.

Ricky and Rebecca were together
for several years,

but they struggled to find time
for each other

as they managed
demanding careers.

They decided to take a break
in 1994

when Ricky moved
to Los Angeles

to appear
in the American soap opera,

"General Hospital."

It is very dangerous,
and what I've just told you,

please keep it a secret.
Lives are in danger.

Ricky played the stereotypical
Latin lover on the show.

♪♪♪

But privately, he was entering

into his first significant
relationship with a man.

♪♪♪

In Los Angeles, Ricky fell
in love with a radio D.J.,

whom he prefers
not to identify.

♪ Solo tú ♪

♪ Solamente tu... ♪

The chemistry and the--
the conversations that we had,

the love when we looked
at each other in the eyes,

it was like... [ gasps ]
Oh, my God. What am I feeling?

And then you just allow it
to happen.

They had
an intense secret relationship.

And when the D.J. broke up
with Ricky, it was devastating.

♪ Volverás, volverás ♪

It didn't work out as I'd hoped
that it would work out.

And what happened with me
was that when it was over,

when I was heartbroken,
and then it was,

you know, it's time to go back
to the beginning.

It's time to go back
to "what kinda feels right"...

which is, let's sing,
let's work, let's move, let's...

♪♪♪

In 1995,
24-year-old Ricky Martin

checked out
of "General Hospital"

and focused on getting back
to his music.

♪♪♪

♪ Te extraño ♪

But after being pegged
as a pop balladeer,

he was ready to shake things up
musically.

I'm tired of
just singing ballads.

Let me just go somewhere else.

He put together a new team
of producers,

including former Menudo bandmate
Robi Draco Rosa,

and started writing songs
for his third solo album.

A lot of the magic

just happened being silly

and dancing and having fun
at the studio

And then "María" was born.

♪ Un, dos, tres ♪

♪ Un pasito pa'lante María ♪

"María" was a huge musical shift
for Ricky,

but the record company
wasn't feeling it.

♪ Opa! ♪

They were used to listening
to me singing ballads,

and one executive
of the record company said,

"Oh, my God, Ricky. This is
the end of your career."

♪ María,
un pasito pa'lante ♪

♪ Un pasito pa' atrás, opa! ♪

Ricky refused to compromise
his artistic vision,

and "María" became the biggest
hit of his career so far,

topping the charts
in 16 countries.

♪ Un, dos, tres ♪

♪ Un pasito pa'lante, María ♪

LEYVA:
"María" was the first time

that he really solidified
the Hispanic rhythms

with his pop sensibilities.

That album was definitely
a turning point.

♪ Un, dos, tres ♪

♪ Un pasito pa' atrás ♪

Ricky followed it up

with his massively successful
fourth album,"Vuelve."

♪♪♪

Driven by his infectious anthem

for the 1998 World Cup,
"The Cup of Life."

♪ Here we go ♪

♪ Alé, alé, alé ♪

♪ Go, go, go ♪

♪ Alé, alé, alé ♪

This song is--is passion.
This song is fire.

This song is dance.

GONZALEZ:
When "The Cup of Life" hit,

he was famous around the world.

He had huge audiences in Asia.

He had huge audiences in Europe
and never mind Latin America.

♪ Tonight's the night ♪

♪ We're gonna celebrate ♪

♪ The cup of life ♪

♪ Alé, alé, alé ♪

[ cheering ]

Ricky had yet to crack
the U.S. pop charts.

REPORTER: Ricky, yes!

But when he was invited
to perform at the Grammys

in February of '99, he knew
it was a huge opportunity.

I'm ready to do it.
I've been brainstorming this--

this picture for a while now,
so let's see what happens.

Singing "La Copa de la Vida,"
which in Spanish means,

"I Survived Menudo"...
- I survived... [ chuckles ]

Please welcome a recording star,
a TV star, a cutie patootie...

- A cutie patootie.
- ...Ricky Martin!

I was nervous, but I just said,

"Okay, let's go, let's go,
let's go.

Let's not think about it.
Let's just go."

♪ Here we go,
alé, alé, alé ♪

♪ Go, go, go ♪

♪ Alé, alé, alé ♪

I think it was the first time
the world saw Ricky,

uh, for what he was, and it was
an electrifying moment

and a very defining moment.

- ♪ Do you really want it? ♪
- ♪ Yeah! ♪

- ♪ Do you really want it? ♪
- ♪ Yeah! ♪

- ♪ Do you really want it? ♪
- ♪ Yeah! ♪

♪ Yeah, yeah ♪

Bam, bam, bam. It's explosive.

♪ Alé, alé, alé,
tonight's the night ♪

He nailed the freaking number.
He just nailed it.

[ song ends,
cheers and applause ]

It doesn't feel like it was
20 years ago.

So many doors were opened
after that--that performance.

We were able to celebrate
the first Latin Grammy Award

exactly a year after this one.

The Academy understood
it was extremely important.

I'm just here
to congratulate him.

- Check this out.
- I'm checking it out, babe.

Isn't it amazing?

For Ricky,
it was the perfect night,

capped off with a Grammy
for best Latin Pop Album.

[ speaking Spanish ]

Everybody wanted to know
who this guy was.

It was crazy.

♪♪♪

I have never seen that kind
of reaction--

instantaneous reaction.
- [ snaps fingers ]

Sony Records decided to rush out

Ricky's first
English language album.

That's when
producer Desmond Child

played him one last track
he was composing.

[ humming
"Livin' La Vida Loca" ]

What the...is this?

He just looked at us like

the sun came out with that
beautiful smile of his.

Whoo!

It was like, hold on, stop.

We need to add this
to the album.

♪ She's into superstitions ♪

♪ Black cats and voodoo dolls ♪

Released as a single
in March of '99,

"Livin' La Vida Loca" soared
to the pop of the pop charts

and stayed there for five weeks.

♪ Upside, inside out ♪

♪ Livin' la vida loca ♪

So much of American rock music
is so heavy.

There was
so much life to this music,

and that was so new for people.

It was one
of those great moments

where you have the right guy
performing this great song.

It's classic.

Whoo!

The single made Ricky
a bona fide superstar

in the United States...

♪ Woke up in New York City ♪

♪ In a funky, cheap hotel ♪

...and paved the way
for the Latin new wave.

I really should thank him
because I don't think

there would be that interest

about me if it wasn't for that
explosion that he created.

♪ Like a bullet to your brain,
come on ♪

We were giving the world

what the world wanted
at that moment.

♪ Gotta, gotta la vi' ♪

[ song ends,
cheers and applause ]

It was the perfect crossover.

♪ I'm a desperado ♪

♪ Underneath your window ♪

By the fall of 1999,

Ricky Martin was
the hottest commodity

in pop music...

♪ Shake your bon,
shake your bon-bon ♪

♪ Shake your bon-bon ♪

...shaking his bon-bon across
the entire United States.

♪ Your only Latin lover ♪

The 28-year-old was headlining
a sold-out nationwide tour,

grossing a million dollars
a night.

♪ Shake your bon-bon,
shake your bon-bon ♪

Paris--sold out.

♪ We'll go 'round the world
in a day ♪

Barcelona--sold out.
Madrid--sold out.

Yeah!

♪♪♪

We were playing to 90,000 people

with people fainting
left and right.

♪ Hola, amiga, hola, amiga ♪

♪ You're my temple of desire ♪

I remember thousands of people
filling up the streets

as we would try to leave
hotels, for example,

and literally stopping
the vehicles.

CROWD:
[ chanting ] Ricky! Ricky!

♪♪♪

It was nonstop, constant,
constant, constant.

♪ Shake your bon-bon,
shake your bon-bon ♪

I have to say that I still get
just as nervous

when I go onstage,

and that is something
that I don't want to lose.

In that moment of my life,
it was--it was more automatic.

Everything, it was just,
let's go, let's go.

Let's not feel too much because
I have an audience to entertain.

I am really in touch
with my emotions now,

and the fact that I get nervous
to go onstage

at this point of my life
is something that I love.

It's something that I celebrate.

♪ Shake your bon-bon ♪

To the outside world, Ricky was
the ultimate Latin heartthrob.

♪♪♪

He had fame, success,
and fortune.

♪♪♪

[ cheers and applause ]

♪♪♪

But inside,
he was still suffering,

living a painful lie
about his sexuality.

MAN:
Right here. Ricky, right here.

RICKY: It's all that I
worked for, that level of fame.

That's all I dreamed of.
That's all I wanted,

since the beginning
of my career.

And then when I had it,
I was afraid.

Oh, my God.
I think I'm too exposed.

I remember there was something
that I didn't wanna share--

my sexuality.

I was working a lot.
I was being successful.

I was smiling.

But maybe deep down inside
there was an emptiness

that was not allowing me
to really fulfill...

my entire...being.

Ricky had told only his closest
friends and family members

that he was gay.

On the road,
he lived a secret life

that few knew about.

My friends knew.

My family knew,
and I...I had my relationships.

I was--I was just fulfilled
as a man.

And the men that I was with
were very discreet.

♪♪♪

Rumors about Ricky's sexuality
began to circulate,

but his inner circle fiercely
protected his private life.

People always asked me
if Ricky was gay.

Everyone wanted to know.
It was a big mystery.

And I, um, I had to lie.

I mean, I wanted to lie.
I wanted to protect him.

Ricky was not ready
to talk about it,

and he would say to us, "I'm not
ready to talk about it."

So you respect that.

RICKY:
It could've been the fear

of not being accepted
by my fans,

the fear of my career
being over.

Was it fame? Was it religion?
Was it society?

What was it?
Maybe all of the above.

Maybe all of the above.

♪♪♪

I still had my insecurities.

I still ask a lot of myself.

I'm still trying to learn on
how to be kind with myself,

how to just focus on the love
that I have

and the love that I can give
to others.

[ cheers and applause ]

♪♪♪

♪ Every endless night ♪

♪ Has a dawning day

- ♪ Every darkest sky ♪
- Whoo!

♪ Has a shining ray ♪

LEVIN: All those girls,
they loved him.

I mean, I...I can't hide the way
I feel about him.

[ screaming ]

If you had said he was gay,
forget it.

The culture wasn't ready.
Nobody was ready.

♪ It's a private emotion ♪

♪ That fills you tonight ♪

♪ And a silence
falls between us ♪

There are so many stereotypes
and expectations

of what the Latino man is,
and I think straying

from anything that's not
sort of traditional,

it's very hard for people
in the Latino community.

It was a big conflict,

but that's what
I had to go through.

♪♪♪

♪ Come to me ♪

The gossip
about Ricky's sexuality

became front-page news
in March of 2000

when Barbara Walters pressed him
to address the rumors

on national TV.

You know, you could stop
these rumors.

I don't wanna put you
on the spot.

I understand perfectly.
No, and I--

But it's in your--It's in
your power this was being said.

I understand,
and thank you so much.

And you're even being named.

I just don't feel like it.

I felt very invaded,

but she wasn't the only one
that was asking me the question.

It's something, I guess,
that you've dodged

or people haven't asked about,
you know, your--your interest

in your significant other.

The media thinks
they're gonna go out

and, "I'm gonna be the one
who gets the right answer.

I'm gonna be the one
who outs him."

I'm--I'm open. I'm open to love.

Male or female or...
specifically female?

Uh...let's go for girls.

[ sighs ]

[ speaking Spanish ]

- Thank you so much.
- All right.

I put you on the spot.

I think it had
a very negative impact on Ricky.

♪ Be careful with my heart ♪

♪ You could break it ♪

I think at a certain moment
that also pushed me away

from really allowing myself
to feel and accept myself.

♪ Sometimes I go insane ♪

A lot of people feel
very comfortable

with coming out
at the age of 15.

Oh, my God. They're so lucky.
That's amazing.

Some people go through life
without being able

to accept themselves.

That is sad.

But no one can be forced
to come out.

♪♪♪

[ cheers and applause ]

At the age of 29,

Ricky Martin had finally
conquered the U.S. market.

But he was terrified
that his hard-earned success

could all be taken away

if the world discovered
that he was gay.

Sometimes you get used
to living in fear,

and then you get numbed by it
and you just keep moving.

♪♪♪

Ricky was moving
at a punishing pace

in the summer of 2000.

♪♪♪

He was in the midst
of a grueling world tour

when Sony Music asked him
to rush out another album.

I would wake up in Miami,
hop on a plane,

do the soundcheck,
do the concert,

back on the plane,
go back to Miami and record.

Time to go now.

There's no time here to--
to really get great performances

or great songs.

Too many people,
too much going on,

too chaotic,
and just out of control.

And then look at what happened.

♪ Talk to me ♪

When "Sound Loaded" was
released in November of 2000,

it was a commercial success,

but Ricky felt it was
a creative disappointment.

♪ She bangs, she bangs ♪

Great songs,
but it wasn't the best album.

You know, still, it was
7, 8 million copies sold.

But me? I didn't live it.

I think he was overexposed
and overworked.

♪ A woman's got one thing
on her mind ♪

I think the marketplace
was a little bit burnt out

on his music,
on seeing him everywhere.

This singer on "Tonight Show,"
"Vida Loca."

On the "Today" Show,
"Vida Loca."

On "The Flintstones,"
"Vida Loca."

And the album died pretty fast
on the U.S. charts.

♪♪♪

Ricky had been on the road
for nearly two years,

performing and promoting
his music.

But by April of 2001,

he was exhausted
and on the verge of collapse.

I was just tired.
I didn't have the energy to get

on another plane
to go to another country.

He told us, "I wanna stop,
and I wanna stop now."

I mean,
we were all freaking out.

Everybody was like, "What?!
Are you kidding me?

No, Rick, come on, man.

We just have one more conc--
one more country to go.

I mean, in seconds,
I can't--I can't...

I can't. This is too heavy.
I'm really tired.

I can't. I'm going home.

He was always
the ultimate people pleaser.

He--He pleased millions
upon millions of people.

And somewhere along the way,

he put his foot down
and stood up for himself.

♪♪♪

Ricky went home to Miami
and cut himself off

from the outside world.

A lot of people thought
that I was depressed

because I'm wearing my pajamas,

and I'm waking up
at 2:00 in the afternoon.

I just didn't wanna wake up
at 8:00 in the morning

for another interview.

Give me...

I think I deserve it.
It's been 10 years.

Over the next few years,

Ricky embarked
on soul searching journeys,

putting the pressures
of the music business aside.

I don't want my managers.
I don't want a schedule.

I don't want anything.

I just wanna travel.
I just wanna be alone.

Ricky's travels took him
to India,

where he studied yoga
and meditation.

He left the trappings
of the material world behind.

♪ I came a long way
from out of nowhere ♪

♪ I stand before you ♪

♪ All alone ♪

I just needed
to go back to basics

and to understand that to live,

the only thing you need
is the desire to breathe.

♪ With your love,
show me how to live ♪

I think the core of his search
when he traveled

was what was his place
in the world?

Is there a bigger purpose?

♪ With your life ♪

♪ Show me how to give ♪

Although he was
still releasing music,

Ricky made philanthropy
his biggest priority.

He established a foundation
to fight human trafficking.

It just felt amazing to work
for my foundation.

It was--It was--It felt--
It tasted way better

than--than doing music.

With his foundation,
Ricky visited Thailand

to help the survivors of the
massive earthquake and tsunami

that devastated the region
in December of 2004.

It's all about talking about
things that need to be done

to, you know, to create
a better world,

especially for the generations
to come.

There, he had
a personal revelation

as he held
an orphan newborn baby,

nicknamed "Baby Wave."

Imagine to hold in your arms

the youngest survivor
of the tsunami.

♪♪♪

You know, everything changed.
Immediately, I said, okay,

I definitely need to become
a father ASAP.

So how am I gonna do this?
I don't know.

[ laughs ]

After researching his options,
Ricky settled on a surrogacy.

♪♪♪

And in August of 2008,

Ricky became the father
of twin boys,

Matteo and Valentino.

♪♪♪

My babies were born,

and I was holding them,
and I said, I need to be strong,

I need to be happy, and I need
to do whatever it takes

for them to grow in a house
full of love,

transparency, and what am I
gonna teach them, how to lie?

No. They're gonna ask them
about Daddy.

And they just have to say,
"Yeah, Daddy's gay. So what?

What's the big deal?"

He didn't want to be somebody
who was lying about who he is.

He didn't want that to be
the example for his children.

My mantra was, okay,
God or higher force or power,

beautiful light,
show me the way of doing it.

But I think I'm ready.
[ laughs ]

On March 29, 2010,
after years of soul searching,

Ricky posted a heartfelt
statement on his web site,

announcing to the world
that he is gay.

I took a minute,
and I started breathing,

and then, okay, I'm ready.
[ chuckles ]

And then I pressed "Send."

Oh, my God. It felt amazing.
Ahh.

I wish I could come out again.
[ laughs ]

It just felt great. It felt--
It felt beautiful.

It felt like high-five with God.
What's up, buddy?

[ laughs ] Oh, man.
I'm so high, I can touch you.

All the fears that were
seducing me back then

no longer exist.

♪♪♪

10 years ago, acceptance about
people's sexual identity

was a bit different.

Now it's more relaxed.
I am so happy

about this young generation
that, you know,

they don't have to deal
with the struggles

that I dealt with as a man

being afraid
of his sexual identity.

There's a bigger community
out there

willing to help those men
and women that are struggling,

and--and I love to be part
of that community.

I am ready to help anyone
that's--that's in need.

♪ I dissipate your every mood ♪

♪ I've got nothing left
to prove ♪

In March of 2010, Ricky Martin
had finally come out

at the age of 38.

♪ And I feel so nice ♪

Immediately, the reaction
of the world was so positive.

It was just love, love,
massive waves of love.

♪♪♪

[ speaking Spanish ]

Letting go of his fears,

Ricky's newfound freedom
flowed through his lyrics.

♪ And if it feels right,
just let it go ♪

♪ And if it's alright,
you got to let it flow ♪

♪ It's alright ♪

After coming out
in March of 2010,

Ricky poured the joy
of his liberation

into his album,"Más."

♪ I'm as happy as I can be ♪

Released in February of 2011,

it was the highest charting
debut of a Latin album

on the U.S. charts
in over 15 years.

♪ The smile on my face
has no remedy ♪

♪ So, baby, don't say no ♪

The first single was inspired
by his love for his twin sons,

Matteo and Valentino.

"The Best Thing About Me
Is You," it was about my kids,

and then it turned
into something else.

It has a very Buddhist message
behind it all.

You and me--we're the same.

And because I love myself,
I can say I love you.

♪ The best thing about me
is you ♪

♪ It's you ♪

♪ Whoa, oh ♪

[ audience cheering ]

Frow now on,
every time I get onstage,

I'm gonna try
to talk about equality--

the importance of understanding
what it is

that you and me,
we are the same.

[ cheering ]

He has become
an extraordinary role model

all across the world,

but especially in Latin America,
where there's never been

somebody like Ricky Martin
before.

♪♪♪

If I only knew how easy it would
have been to come out...

[ laughs ] Oh, my God.
I would have done it.

Yeah, I would have done it
10 years ago

'cause it just feels so amazing.
It feels great.

♪ Dime si hay ♪

♪ Otro lugar ♪

♪ Para dejar ♪

Over the next five years,
Ricky released 10 top singles.

♪ Vente pa' 'ca, vente pa' 'ca ♪

♪ Vente pa' 'ca, ah, oh ♪

And in 2016,
he won his second Grammy

for Best Pop Latin Album.

I think the audience,
the media understand that

that's where I'm at
at the moment

and that there's nothing
to be ashamed of,

that there's nothing
to be afraid of,

because I love myself.

♪ Vente pa' 'ca, ah, oh ♪

♪♪♪

That desire to be true
to himself

had a profound impact
on Ricky's personal life.

In 2016, he met Swedish artist
Jwan Josef

after admiring his work.

I met Jwan through Instagram,
believe it or not.

I saw his art, and I'm like,
who's the artist?

And it said, "Jwan Josef,"

and I'm like,
that's such a cool name.

But I wanna see his face,
and then when I saw his face,

I said, okay, this is over.
What a beautiful man.

But then again, let's just focus
on his art. [ laughs ]

We texted for six months,
and then six months later,

I fly to London
where he used to live,

and I said, "Well, let's--
let's meet."

And when I got out of the car
and I saw him,

I said, "Whoa, whoa, whoa,
wait a minute.

"I think this is the man
of my life,

and I think I am going
to marry him."

[ laughs ]

Within months,
they were engaged.

♪♪♪

I call him the witchcraft
because I felt this spell,

and then I was in his arms.
[ chuckles ]

♪ Don't stop ♪

In 2017, Ricky and Jwan
moved to Las Vegas,

along with his two sons,

for his "All In" residency at
the Monte Carlo Resort & Casino.

[ cheering ]

- All in, all...
- All in!

[ all cheering ]

Very beautiful for my career.

It was the perfect next step
to take.

♪♪♪

The 6-month run in Vegas
allowed Ricky to focus

on his work-life balance.

[ speaking Spanish ]

He was able to be
with his family every day...

So it's...

pa-pa, pa-pa.

It was funny, though,
when you two shake your butts.

[ Ricky laughs ]

...while performing
three nights a week.

♪ Woke up in Las Vegas ♪

[ audience cheering ]

♪ In a funky cheap hotel ♪

♪ She took my heart,
and she took my... ♪

The fact that we were stable
at home,

and I was able
to wake up with my kids

and have--have breakfast
with them

and see them go to school
and, you know,

maybe be able to help them
at the end of the day

was very special.

[ speaks Spanish ]

We're normalizing what
a beautiful modern family is.

- Bye.
- Later.

[ indistinct conversations ]

In January of 2018,
Ricky revealed that he and Jwan

had married
in a secret ceremony.

Over the next two years,
they welcomed two more children

into their family via surrogacy.

Lucia--she's the only girl
in the house.

One girl, two daddies,
three brothers.

She runs the house,
and she's only 1 year old.

Baby Renn--he's so Zen,
very curious.

He's starting to walk right now,

and he's the cutest thing
I've ever seen.

[ speaks Spanish ]

Matteo--I know
that every father says,

"Oh, my child is 12
going on 20,"

but this guy is very special,

very inquisitive,
very curious.

Valentino is nature. Valentino
is the best tree climber,

and he's also
a great tree hugger.

It is challenging, but I would
do it all over again,

and I still have embryos.
I love--I love a big family.

And--And listen,
it takes a village.

I-I am in love with
my four children. [ chuckles ]

At the age of 47, Ricky had
found contentment at home

as a husband and father.

And in 2019,
his career came full circle

when he was asked to once again
perform the opening number

at the Grammys.

20 years after his Grammy debut,

he was now shining a spotlight
on rising Latin stars

Camila Cabello and J Balvin.

♪♪♪

♪ Le lo lai, ay le lo le lo ♪

CAMILA:
Hands up! Ricky Martin!

♪♪♪

♪ Le lo lai, ay le lo le lo ♪

Come on!

Camila had the most amazing song

talking about Havana
and our culture

and bringing
all those influences.

It doesn't matter what part
of the world you're from.

You are still enjoying
these sounds.

Come on, Ricky!

♪ Que que hay tirarse
a la calle ♪

♪ Dejando atrás los problemas ♪

♪ Que cómo decía ♪

It was a very important moment
for my career

and for music in general.

[ song ends, cheering ]

There's this very hungry,

powerful, young generation
of artists that--

that wanna work with me,
and I'm very happy about that.

[ speaking Spanish ]

In July of 2019, Ricky took
his passion back to his roots

in Puerto Rico,
along with Bad Bunny

and rapper Residente to protest
government corruption.

REPORTER: Violent protests
rocked Puerto Rico overnight

as new details emerged
of the corruption scandal

surrounding the governor.

Thousands of demonstrators
demanding the resignation

of Governor Ricardo Roselló.

This follows revelations

of a profane
and derogatory group chat

targeting critics
of his administration.

We're tired of the cynicism!

They put down women. They put
down the LGBT community,

people with disabilities.

Corruption. It is insane.

It's pretty much barbaric
what he's doing.

We're tired, and we're angry.

[ speaking Spanish ]

[bleep]

The massive demonstrations
ultimately forced

Puerto Rican Governor
Ricardo Roselló to resign.

We came from Puerto Rico.
We fought injustice

with a leader that was not
helping my people.

Inspired by
the power of the people,

Ricky celebrated the culture
that made him a star

by heading into the studio

to record the uplifting anthem,
"Cántalo"

with the next generation
of Puerto Rican artists.

♪ Lo baila la calle ♪

♪ No quiero un trofeo gigante
como Héctor ♪

♪ Yo lo que quiero es
que mi gente cante ♪

[ speaking Spanish ]

[ laughs ]

♪ Derritiendo el frío
porque vengo con mi gente ♪

Bad Bunny, Residente--these are
people that are so in touch

and so in tune
with their instinct.

And I want a little bit of that.
I wanna learn from them also.

The moment I say I know it all,
you lose.

♪ Que lo baila San Juán
que lo baile La Habana ♪

♪ Apretaito y bien sudao
como en Copa Cabana ♪

♪ Qué mala eres Juliana ♪

♪ Demasiao de sabrosura
como pa' no verte mañana ♪

♪ Lo baila la calle ♪

♪ Que cante mi gente ♪

I guess it's all our ancestors
are doing their--their thing,

trying to bring all the love
that, really, this music,

without passion,
it doesn't exist.

♪ Habla pueblo, cántalo ♪

- Puerto Rico!
- [ cheers and applause ]

Ricky was inspired to carry
that message

of unity and optimism on tour
with him in January of 2020.

RICKY:
♪ Siente lo que siento yo ♪

I really needed to go back
onstage.

I needed to go back on the road.

I love what I do.
I love being onstage.

I love the reaction
of the audience.

[ audience cheering ]

And all of a sudden, boom.

The pandemic came.

Two of the nation's
biggest states joined a third

in ordering all non-essential
workers to stay home.

I got really anxious,

and everybody was telling me,
"Ricky, this is the end.

You're not gonna be able
to perform ever again,"

And I'm like, what?
Hold on a second.

This is all I've done.

I started a grieving process
'cause it felt horrible.

It just--I had a lot
of anxiety.

So instead of, uh, being
completely seduced

by--by all this anxiety
that I was feeling,

I forced myself into the studio
and once again,

music became my medicine.

♪ Me perdí en tu cuerpo ♪

♪ Cada rincón secreto ♪

I released an album that is
called "Pausa,"

which means "Pause,"
and it's more introspective.

It's very simple.
It is romantic.

♪ No puedo fingir ♪

♪ Lo que ves en mí ♪

We were going through
a lot of uncertainty and fear.

I looked at my team, and I said,

"We will create something
that will heal.

We will create something
of social impact."

♪ La mitad de mi vida
hecha besos, cada sol ♪

All of a sudden,
I hear this dimensional sound,

something that has been with us
since the '70s,

but I said, this is--
this is it.

I want to take this
to the next level.

We can bring this three, four,
five, six, eight dimensions

to my music.

♪ Fue tu luz la ilusión,
la caricia ♪

♪ Tus palabras
besando las mías ♪

Ricky invested his own money
in developing

a new sound technology
called Orbital Audio,

which provides a more profound
listening experience.

It is a technique that puts
the listener

dead center in the middle
of the sound.

So instead of it being stereo
left and right

that most of us are used to,

it now puts the point
of reference for your sound

all around you, above you,
and below you.

♪ Tu voz habita en mí ♪

♪ Mi piel me pide a ti ♪

I think the biggest breakthrough
for Orbital Audio

is going to be
in the meditation room.

Imagine the waves crashing
over you and then behind you.

You're really immersing yourself
into sound.

♪ Hoy solo sé sentir ♪

♪ Te pido de recuerdo ♪

The tentacles that are growing
out of Orbital Audio

are all based on healing.

♪♪♪

That positive spirit is at
the heart of the album"Pausa"

and the ballad,"Tiburones."

♪ Ya no sé por qué
peleamos así ♪

♪ Basta de hacernos daño,
que se nos van los años ♪

The music video was filmed
on the streets of San Juan

where Ricky had participated
in protests just months earlier.

♪ Vamo' a cambiar de casa,
vamos un mes de viaje ♪

[ horn honking ]

It's a message of a man
confronting who he is

and finding his vulnerability
to say,

"I don't wanna fight like this
with you anymore."

♪ Pero cambiemos el escenario,
que no quiero pelear contigo ♪

♪ ¿Cómo la ves? ♪

But at the end of the day,

It was about what was happening
around the world.

I wanted to record
the video here

with the people that were
with me out in the streets,

following the truck
and my rainbow flag--

that--that's what
really mattered.

♪ Vamo' a cambiar de casa ♪

♪ Vamos un mes de viaje ♪

♪ Hablemos otro idioma,
bésame aquí en la calle ♪

[ speaking Spanish ]

♪ Nado con tiburones ♪

Ricky's relentless passion
for music

has spanned more
than four decades.

Now as he approaches midlife,

he's an artist and an activist
with a mission--

unify and bring people
together through music.

When something difficult comes,
let's be proactive,

and let's find a way
of fixing it

and not allowing yourself
to be seduced

by--by anything other than--
than love and--and strength.

♪ Nado con tiburones ♪

Yeah, it's funny, 'cause you
were asking me before,

"How have you changed?"
and I didn't know how to answer,

and I can say for sure
one thing that I still have

from 10 years ago is that I have
this obsession with healing.

So once again,
I am here talking to you

with one priority in mind--

for my soul to heal
and for everyone to heal.

♪ Tiburones ♪

♪♪♪

♪ Alé, alé, alé ♪

♪ Go, go, go ♪

♪ Alé, alé, alé ♪

♪ Tonight's the night ♪

♪ We're gonna celebrate ♪

♪ The cup of life ♪

♪ Alé, alé, alé ♪

♪♪♪