Celebrity3 min(s) read
Frankie Muniz's ex was forced to come to his defense after the Malcolm In The Middle star was subjected to critcism for the way he announced they were divorcing.
The actor, 40, took to Instagram this week to announce that he and his wife, model Paige Muniz, were ending their six-year marriage.
They began dating in 2016, got engaged in November 2018 and married on October 3, 2019.
The couple share a son, Mauz, who was born on March 22, 2021, but revealed on July 1 that they'd decided to end their marriage.
Frankie broke the news to his followers with a light-hearted video showing him and Paige dancing around to 'Check Yes, Juliet' by We The Kings in their home, before being joined by their son, as he captioned it: "Who says you can't stay best friends with your baby momma?"
However, the casual announcement rubbed some fans up the wrong way, and Frankie eventually deleted the post after getting backlash from his followers.
He later shared an updated post on Instagram showing him and Paige, 33, at one of his NASCAR races, writing: "Life update! Following a period of separation that we kept private, Paige and I have decided to move forward with ending our marriage.
"After 10 beautiful years together, we’ve grown in ways that made us realize our relationship feels most natural and strong as a deep friendship and as co-parents.
"We share an incredible son who remains the center of our world, and we’re both happier, stronger parents because of the love and growth we’ve shared."
Frankie added: "I’m endlessly grateful to Paige for everything she’s done for me and our family. She put her own dreams on hold so I could chase mine, and she was always my biggest supporter.
"That foundation of respect and friendship isn’t going anywhere. We’re excited to keep building Muniz Racing together and to co-parent our boy with the same teamwork and love we’ve always had.
"We’re closing one chapter with gratitude and opening the next with bright futures ahead, for us as individuals and especially for our son. Thank you for the love and support.
"We both choose to not entertain any questions on this matter. Please respect our families privacy during this time."
Paige took to the comments of the post to defend Frankie's initial video announcement, writing: "Frankie, I am so sorry that you felt the need to delete an old fun video of our family because people are so cruel to you.
"This world is so f**ked… divorce is bad, sure - it’s not like we’re excited about it… but we’re two adults who know how to be on the same team. I can’t believe people could scrutinize that."
It's not the first time that Frankie has expressed his gratitude for the sacrifices Paige made to support him in his career change from acting to being a NASCAR driver.
Earlier this year, he described Paige as a "saint" who was "sacrificing so much" for him to be able to pursue his dreams.
He told Us Weekly: "It is very hard, I won't lie. Honestly, my wife is a saint. She's sacrificing so much for me to live my dream."
Sometimes relationships don't work out romantically, but it seems like these two will have a wonderful friendship for life nonetheless.
3 min(s) read
.webp_ke6C2y?tr=cr-169.8.1505.1344,f-webp,q-70,w-1024)
5 min(s) read
4 min(s) read
celebrity3 min(s) read
celebrity5 min(s) read
celebrity3 min(s) read
celebrity4 min(s) read
celebrity4 min(s) read
Frankie Muniz has opened up about a potential Malcolm In The Middle reboot - and if everything comes together, it might just happen.
The 38-year-old actor-turned-professional-race-car-driver starred as the titular character in the beloved series that followed the misadventures of a lower-middle-class family in California.
The TV show ran for seven seasons between 2000 to 2006, and became one of the most popular sitcoms of its time, winning numerous awards and accolades - including Prime Time Emmy awards.
As it has been 17 years since the show ended, Muniz recently spoke about the possibility of a reboot on the Breakdown podcast, hosted by Mayim Bialik.
Check out Muniz on the Breakdown podcast below:The Agent Cody Banks actor told the 48-year-old actress that back in 2015, he tweeted: "How fun would 'Malcolm In The Mid-life Crisis' be? I wonder what Malcolm and his family would be up to now!" after binging the show for the first time.
"It was really interesting to watch because I really got to watch it as a viewer as I didn’t necessarily remember what was going to happen in the episodes," he said on the podcast. "My perspective of the show completely changed of what I thought the show was to what it actually was."
His post on the platform X (formerly known as Twitter) led to the cast sending emails together with everybody insisting: "We gotta do this, we gotta do it".
The show’s creator, Linwood Boomer, apparently said: "I think it would be amazing but I don’t want to do it," explaining that he didn’t have the time. However, he gave his blessing if the team got two specific writers on board.
While Muniz didn’t disclose who the writers are, he revealed that Bryan Cranston (who played Malcolm's dad Hal) is leading it and has been collaborating with the writers "for the last two years" to try and make it a reality.
"I would love it, especially as I have a greater appreciation of what the show is and was, and would love to dive in with all those people again to do it," Muniz said, before adding: "So many shows have been rebooted and so many shows shouldn’t have been rebooted.
"So, I don’t wanna be just like one of those shows, it has to make sense. It has to be good," the star added.
Elsewhere in the interview, Muniz opened up about his relationship with drugs and alcohol, telling the host that he is the only member of his family who doesn't drink.
Having suffered health issues over the years, including nine concussions as well as a mini-stroke in 2012, the actor clarified that there isn't a profound reason behind his decision not to consume alcohol.
"I've still never had a sip of alcohol, never done drugs," he admitted, to which the Blossom actress questioned: "Were you raised in a tradition that did not drink? Do you not want to drink?... You don't have to."
He explained that "every family member in my family drinks. And that’s what they do for fun," and said he "tried to figure out why I didn’t, because I don’t have a reason. It wasn’t, like, a religion."
Muniz mused that it likely goes back to his "hatred towards time," sharing: "When I was 15, 16 years old, I felt like I was so old. I had experienced so much. And I had experienced a lot in my life in comparison to most 15- or 16-year-olds.
"But even though I was in the entertainment business, I never saw it, meaning the drug use, any of that stuff. I somehow stayed away," he said, about avoiding the Hollywood parties. "I just went to the set and did my thing."
The father-of-one quipped that he "grew up thinking the only people who smoked pot were criminals on Cops," referencing the reality TV show, and said: "Now I talk to my dad about it, and my mom and they're like, 'We smoked pot every single day, you just didn't know.' It's a weird thing to think back at."
He then told Bialik that the first time he was around alcohol or drugs was when he was 18, disclosing: "In my mind, I felt like I had made it so long without it. I was like, 'Well, I'm not going to start now', even though I was only 18."
The sports star recalled people's "shocked or appalled" reactions when he would turn down alcohol at a setting like a nightclub, which he said influenced his decision to abstain.
"I was always kind of like, 'It’s so weird that people have such a strong reaction to me not drinking,'" he said. "Like, who cares? I don’t care what you do. Why do you care so much about me? I don’t know if I made a conscious decision, but it just stuck with me that I was never gonna drink or do anything.
"But now I’m 38 and I think I’m going to start tonight," he humorously said, before concluding, "Only kidding."
Frankie Muniz is speaking candidly about the long-standing silence between him and Hilary Duff. The actor, known for his role in Malcolm in the Middle, recently revealed on The Joe Vulpis Podcast the reason he hasn’t spoken to Duff in over two decades.
The two stars had a close friendship in their early years, but an incident during the filming of Agent Cody Banks in 2003 led to their falling out.
Muniz and Duff became fast friends in the early 2000s, with both of their careers rising to fame around the same time. Duff was starring in Lizzie McGuire, while Muniz was gaining popularity as the lead in Malcolm in the Middle. Their bond even led to Muniz making a cameo appearance on Lizzie McGuire. However, things took a turn when Muniz revealed he had been cast in Agent Cody Banks and discussed the project with Duff’s mother.
“I was on the set of Lizzie McGuire, and I was in Hilary’s dressing room and her mom was there,” Muniz recalled. “Her mom was like, ‘Do you know what you’re doing this summer? What are you doing this summer?’ And I go, ‘Oh, I’m filming this movie where I’m playing like a junior James Bond.’”
According to Muniz, Duff’s mother inquired about the film’s female lead, and by the next day, Duff was reportedly cast in the role.
“Her mom’s like, ‘Guess what? We’re going to be spending the summer together. She’s doing Cody Banks with you. They signed the contract last night,’” Muniz continued. Muniz also admitted that he wasn’t “thrilled about it. And not because I didn’t want it to be Hilary.”
He went on, "I don’t know how much I want to say. I’m trying to think about it because I’ve already said way too much."
Despite the tension that followed, Muniz admitted that he regretted letting the situation come between him and Duff. He described feeling upset by the casting change but later acknowledged his regret.
“I regret not just continuing to be friends with her because we had a great friendship for such a long time, and I let her mom… it pissed me off,” he said. Muniz also expressed a desire to reconnect with Duff, stating, “I would love to catch up with her.”
He added, “I would love to even talk about that because I’m sure she doesn’t know any of that happened.” Muniz also revealed that he had not spoken to Duff “since the last day” of shooting Agent Cody Banks. “I’ve not said one word to her since then. So that’s the truth of that,” he said.
Both stars have continued their careers since Agent Cody Banks, with Duff returning to music and Muniz working on a Malcolm in the Middle revival. While there’s no word from Duff yet, Muniz seems hopeful that a reunion could happen in the future.
Frankie Muniz has recently revealed the fortune he made by the time he was 19.
Now, Muniz started his career as a child actor appearing in commercials and minor roles in television shows before earning his breakthrough role as the titular character in the television series Malcolm in the Middle, which ran from 2000 to 2006.
In the show, Muniz portrayed Malcolm, a highly intelligent and gifted child who navigates the challenges of growing up in a dysfunctional family alongside other notable cast members like Bryan Cranston, Erik Per Sullivan, and Jane Kaczmarek.
During his TV career, he also ventured into the world of film, appearing in My Dog Skip (2000), Big Fat Liar (2002), and Agent Cody Banks (2003).
Beyond acting, he has dabbled in writing, producing, music, and more recently, race car driving.
Having such an extensive career in the entertainment industry, you would expect the now 38-year-old to be raking it in, but fans were shocked after learning just how much the star had bagged himself when he was just a teenager.
Speaking to his Australian campmates about trolls on social media on the Aussie version of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!, Muniz confirmed that he'd cashed in $40 million by the time he was 19.
"This kid wrote, 'I’m sorry but your acting is just awful,'" he said, recalling a past incident on X (formerly Twitter). "And I was in a movie, and I went: 'Yeah it is, but you know what’s not awful? Being retired at 19 with $40 million. Good luck moving out of your mom's house before you’re 35.'"
"His Twitter name was 'I heart Mountain Dew.' Like, OK," he added.
In a confessional, he elaborated on the issue, stating that while he tries to avoid interactions with haters, sometimes he feels compelled to "take a swing back."
"...Every once in a while you have to punch back you can only take so many punches before you get knocked out," he said. "Take a swing back, I’m a human too. If you can dish it, you need to be able to take it."
When asked whether he now has enough money to retire completely, he responded: "Oh, 100 percent. But I'm neurotically motivated. I’ve just always worked since I was eight years old. I don’t know how to just be in the moment and not be focused on what I’m doing next."
Despite making a huge fortune while being an actor, Muniz chose to step away from the limelight in order to protect his mental health. He's now a race car driver who lives in Arizona with his wife and child.
In an interview with News.com.au, the star opened up about why he chose to leave it all behind.
"I never felt like I fully fit in the Hollywood world, even though I was in the world. I was nominated for Emmys and Golden Globes, and I was going to all this stuff, and I was there, and I was like, how am I here?" he told the outlet before going into the jungle.
"I hated LA, so I kind of stayed in my own little world, my own little bubble," he continued. "And moving to Arizona, I did it on a whim, and I realised immediately that I started looking up. I started enjoying looking at trees and birds in the sky. Going to the grocery store was a fun thing.
"You don’t get that in LA. It’s a miserable experience," he added.
Frankie Muniz has given Malcolm In The Middle fans an update on what happened to Erik Per Sullivan after viewers were left wondering what happened to him in the years since.
Malcolm In The Middle was staple after-school viewing for most of us growing up in the early to mid-2000s, following the life of an 11-year-old boy named Malcolm and his dysfunctional family and school friends.
Muniz played the lead role in the children's series, while his youngest brother Dewey was played by Per Sullivan.
While most of the cast have gone on to star in many things after the series finished in 2006, little is known of what Per Sullivan has been up to since his last role in 2010.
Despite being a fan-favorite character in the series, a few years after the show finished the now-32-year-old decided to take a step back from the limelight.
Muniz, now 36, addressed where Per Sullivan has been in an interview a few years back, revealing even he struggles to keep up with his former co-star.
He explained: "To be honest, I don't know what he's up to. I hate to say that because I've talked to him a few times since the show ended.
"I've talked to his parents a lot. When I was in the band, we went and played in the city where he lives and his parents came to the show but unfortunately he couldn't make it.
"So I got to talk to them, and he's been all over doing a lot of different things."
Muniz added:"But one thing I know, some actors or some people just got to do it when they were a kid and then they wanted to experience other things and kind of live a more normal life out of the spotlight.
"I think that's what he wanted to do, so good for him."
Per Sullivan's credits include Christmas With The Kranks and Armageddon among other film and TV projects as a child, but it seems he prefers to keep a low profile these days and doesn't appear to have any public social media accounts of his own.
One Instagram page was created purporting to be Per Sullivan, but it has never been confirmed whether it belongs to him or not, though it has some snaps of the star looking older than when he was last seen.
The rest of the cast have mostly continued their careers in the limelight, with arguably the most notable being Bryan Cranston who played the family's dad, Hal.
He has gone on to play Walter White in Breaking Bad as well as a whole roster of other film and TV projects.
Muniz, meanwhile, revealed he too was pursuing some different interests early last year, telling Dave Moody on SiriusXM that he was hoping to join NASCAR.
He said at the time: "We're talking to a bunch of teams, both in ARCA and Trucks, Xfinity. I want to be realistic, too. Obviously, I haven't done a ton of oval racing. So everywhere I am going to go next year is going to be new.
"So in that same sense I want to move up quickly. I don't want to throw myself completely off the deep end.
"I know in ARCA National, the Trucks Series - it's ultra-competitive. It's not little, local racing, it's the top level of motorsports.
"I want to make sure that I'm ready. I believe that I am. But it's all about kind of putting the best deal together with a Truck ride or ARCA ride.
"I just want to be in a race car, so as much seat time as possible is gonna be key for me the rest of this year and next year just to keep learning and progressing. That is the goal is to be in a Truck or doing ARCA National or both."
His goal became a reality, as in January 2023 it was announced that Muniz would drive full-time for Rette Jones Racing in the ARCA Menards Series in the team's No. 30 Ford Mustang.
.webp_lli6Ty?tr=cr-74.9.445.380,f-webp,q-70,w-100)
.webp_SmgFsc?tr=cr-292.0.1244.952,f-webp,q-70,w-1024)
.webp_lli6Ty?tr=cr-74.9.445.380,f-webp,q-70,w-1024)
.webp_ke6C2y?tr=cr-169.8.1505.1344,f-webp,q-70,w-100)
.webp_SmgFsc?tr=cr-292.0.1244.952,f-webp,q-70,w-100)
