Ross Mathews and husband Dr. Wellinthon García-Mathews never thought they would be writing a book together — but just how fast the night changes.
“We come from two very different worlds. I’ve been in entertainment for almost 24 years, and Wellington is actually smart,” Ross, The Drew Barrymore Show cohost, told Us Weekly exclusively while promoting their children’s book, Tío and Tío: The Ring Bearers (out now). “He is an expert in his field of education, so we are on complete opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to careers. But we saw something at our wedding.”
Wellinthon, a curriculum developer and educational school leader, recalled watching their nephews Evan and Andy — whom the book is inspired by — taking their roles as ring bearers so seriously. (Ross and Wellinthon tied the knot in May 2022 in Mexico with Drew Barrymore as their flower girl.)
“I noticed how kids want to be perfect. They want to show up, they want to mean something,” he continued. “I remember telling [Ross] about this and just the process of how they wanted to really be there for us.”
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Evan and Andy’s involvement in Ross and Wellinthon’s lives didn’t stop at their wedding. The boys had so much input when it came to bringing Tío and Tío: The Ring Bearers to life on the page.
Keep scrolling for more from the couple.
Us Weekly: What was it like to go from a couple to collaborators?
Ross Mathews: We’re good. Listen, we just finished a renovation at the house. If we can do that, we can write a children’s series. The coolest part about working together was how good my husband is at what he does. I send him off to work every day. I make him coffee and a little Ziploc of breakfast and say, ‘Have a good day.’ But to see him up close, use his skills — his doctorate and his 20 years in the classroom as a leader in administration — it was just so impressive. And, honestly, kind of a turn on.
Dr. Wellinthon García-Mathews: A lot of people ask if Ross is the exact same way at home, [compared to] how he comes across in television and 100 percent yes. When it comes to being a storyteller, he’s the king of pun. That was the inception. When we talked about ring bearers, there’s a little joke about the kids thinking that it’s bear, instead of bearers. That little nugget, it just gave me insight into his brain and how magical it is in there.
Us Weekly: What was Drew Barrymore’s reaction when you asked her to write the book’s foreword?
Ross Mathews: I remember the moment I texted her. I’m like, ‘Here’s the deal, we have this idea for the book and we’re writing it. You’re gonna be turned into a little girl.’ I went on this whole long text and she wrote back, ‘I stopped reading after the first sentence. I love it. Yes, I’m in anything you need. How amazing. This is amazing.’ Then she wrote, all capitals, ‘YOU ARE WRITING A CHILDREN’S BOOK.’”
Dr. Wellinthon García-Mathews: I tell him all the time and I tell her that [Drew’s] family. She’s my hermana. She’s my sister.
Us Weekly: What was your nephews’ reaction to seeing the illustrated versions of themselves?
Ross Mathews: We want to shout out Tommy Doyle, our illustrator. The book is based on real life, so there’s a lot of pressure there because you’re not just making people up out of pure imagination. You have to make them whimsical and expressive, but they have to be based on human beings. There’s a real challenge there. These are human beings we care a great deal about, so I cared very little about what I looked like, and I was really into the boys and the mom and the dad — making sure that they reflected real life. We handed over the rough draft to the nephews and said, ‘Do you have any notes?’ I thought it’d be a cute moment of ‘We’re good. Isn’t this cool?’ They came back and they had written, on every single page, notes. We thought, ‘We can’t write a book about empowering kids to matter and not take their notes.’ So, we addressed every single one. The boys were right.
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Dr. Wellinthon García-Mathews: Their fingerprints are all over it. I call them my free interns.
Us Weekly: Did writing this book live up to your expectations?
Ross Mathews: We made this really as a representation of our family. So, whether anybody bought one copy or not, we would’ve been grateful to have had this on our shelf forever. The fact that people are paying attention and buying it, we just announced that we’re getting book number two in the series of this. That is so frosting on top. We’re just overcome with gratitude.
Dr. Wellinthon García-Mathews: There’s just been a tsunami of love from my colleagues, from friends, from neighbors, of just how proud they are that this actually exists and that it’s out in the universe. It really warms my heart, and I’m so ecstatic that it’s out there and people can buy it and read it. It’s more than what I expected.
Us Weekly: This book is all about weddings. What can you tease for your upcoming third wedding anniversary?
Ross Mathews: We take turns. He has even years, I do odd years in terms of planning. This year’s on me, and I got you.
Dr. Wellinthon García-Mathews: I looked up, we’re supposed to give each other leather.
Ross Mathews: I was thinking more of like a leather-bound journal, but it could be a harness. You never know. … We’re more happy hour, less flogging.
Us Weekly: Now that you’re part of the club, what are your thoughts on celebrities writing children’s books?
Ross Mathews: I think it’s fun. Creative people shouldn’t be put in any box. If you want to create television one day and a world in literature the next day, you should be able to. … If you’ve got something to share with the world, I think you should share it.
