The Latin superstar, 36, welcomed twin boys via a surrogate mother a few weeks ago, his rep tells the Associated Press.

"The children, delivered via gestational surrogacy, are healthy and already under Ricky's full-time care," the statement read.

"Ricky is elated to begin this new chapter in his life as a parent and will be spending the remainder of the year out of the public spotlight in order to spend time with his children."

You hear that, ravenous news media? If you don't see or hear from Ricky Martin over the next year, it's not because you didn't see or hear from him over this past year. And if he elects to support his new brood with a speedo-wearing manny, well, who's to argue?

[photo credit: AP]

• BREAKING NEWS: Singer Ricky Martin Welcomes Twin Boys [Us]

Martin's ceremony was no less a display of controlled hysteria, his appreciative statements nearly drowned out by the piercing screams of hundreds of screaming women and high-pitched men, hoisting some of the most elaborate hand-woven fan tapestries we've seen since the expansive Jamie Foxx Quilt carpeted the Hollywood & Highland central courtyard.

[Photos: Getty Images]

• Ricky Martin Gets Walk of Fame Star [ap.google.com]
• Ricky Consigue Su Estrella [WOW Report]

No wonder music executives go to the mat to secure a spot on the lineup. In 1998, for example, then-Sony Music head Tommy Mottola threatened to withhold future appearances by Jennifer Lopez and Destiny's Child if a relatively unknown Latin singer named Ricky Martin was not given airtime.

"I used every form of manipulation and pressure you can imagine to make it happen," said Mottola, who said he even called CBS Chief Executive Leslie Moonves to make his case. Martin sang "La Copa de la Vida" at the 1999 Grammys, where he also won the best Latin performance award. By the end of the year, the singer had sold 9 million records, an eightfold increase over his previous sales.

The very, very devilish Mottola hounded Moonves day and night, playing Martin's song over the phone and begging the mogul to shoehorn the artist into the Grammys telecast. Moonves initially dismissed the music as "lobotomized, Iglesias-lite Muzak," prompting the record exec to dispatch Martin to demonstrate the range of his talents in person. After a few minutes of uninspired caterwauling, Moonves remained unimpressed—that is, until Martin's big finish, in which the singer finally turned the firehose of his passion on the man who held the key to his fame and fortune. One drenched, ruined suit and one excited phone call to Mottola later, Martin was well on his way to Grammy immortality.

• And the Winners Are ... Performers on the Show [LAT]

Done? Good. Now, here's all we have to say on this: 1. Do you have any idea how hard it is to pull off looking good in a Speedo? It's hard. Trust us, we've tried, and it wasn't pretty. Needless to say, hairy, love-handled Jews were not meant for Lycra man-kinis. 2. Yo, Ricky, nice choice. Hope she bangs you 'til the sun goes down.

UPDATE: A reader informs us Ricky Martin's beach partner is his half-brother Eric Martin, making any sort of sexual union between the two wrong. Really. Really. Wrong.

• Previously: Ricky Martin Douses The World In His Passion [Defamer]

Which begs the question: What do the ladies under the dryers think about his love of water sports?

Ricky Martin told fans perhaps a little more about his sex life than some wanted to know. I love giving the golden shower, he told Blender. I ve done it before in the shower. It s like so sexy, you know, the temperature of your body and the shower water is very different.

Martin should be applauded for enthusiastically embracing his deviant tastes, even though he still refuses to use sex-specific pronouns when discussing his sex-act-specifics. We understand his upcoming bilingual release features a song devoted entirely to the subject, "Me Gusta Orinar (I Like To Pee)." Guests in the front rows of future Martin concerts will be encouraged to wear rain gear, as the live performance of the song's sweeping chorus will fully immerse his fans in the singer's not-so-secret passion.

• The Scoop: Notes from all over (third item)[MSNBC.com]

• Ricky Martin Says Fame Left Him Bored [ABC News/AP]