Criss Angel: Secretly Married ... and a Father!!!

Criss Angel wants you to believe he's single, but it's just an illusion because he's been married for nearly a year ... TMZ has learned.

According to a marriage certificate, Criss tied the knot with his singer-songwriter girlfriend, Shaunyl Benson, right after Valentine's Day.

The hints unraveled this week after Criss admitted he was the father of Benson's 20-month-old son, Johnny, and had to cancel his Vegas act until early November because the boy has cancer. He shared a photo on Monday ... Johnny's 4th day of chemo.

It's unclear why he kept his family life secret. Just 3 weeks ago, Criss denied he was a father while talking to a Cleveland radio station.