Original subtitles

[ 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 ♪

♪♪♪