Leah Remini has recently announced that she will be getting a divorce from her husband.
The actress, best known for her roles in The King of Queens and Kevin Can Wait revealed that her relationship with Angelo Pagán has ended after 21 years of marriage.
The pair first met back in 1996 when Pagán was performing at El Floridita, a Cuban club and restaurant in Los Angeles and seven years later, the decided to tie the knot.
Just a year later, they welcomed a daughter, Sofia Bella together and continued to bring up Pagán's other three sons - Angelo Jr., Alex and Nico - who were from a previous relationship.
Initially, Remini described it as "love at first sight", but over two decades later and the pair have officially called it quits.
The stars announced the news via a joint statement on Instagram.
"Well, here we are. After 28 years together and 21 years of marriage, we have decided to file for divorce," the lengthy announcement began. "This decision came after a lot of thought and care, and as hard as divorce is, we are approaching this with a positive outlook because we know it’s what’s best for us."
The statement continued: "We are proud of how we have worked through this together."
She added that while the couple figure out their "new normal," they will still continue "celebrating holidays together, watching our favorite TV shows together, and gathering as a family."
"So, the big question—why? To put it simply, we both changed, as people do, and we got used to playing roles that didn’t fit us anymore. After a lot of effort and consideration, we’ve decided to take this step, which reflects who we are today," they stated.
Noting that their "bond is still strong," they emphasized that it had just evolved into something different - one that didn't require them to be married to each other anymore.
"We think a marriage that lasted this long and created so many beautiful memories, especially raising our incredible daughter, is something to celebrate," the statement continued. "From our perspective, this marriage was a huge success. And now, we’re looking forward to creating even more cherished moments - just in a different way."
Remini and Pagán said they wanted to be "as transparent as we can be" since they shared their marriage "so publicly" on TV over the years.
"We are sharing this unknown territory with you all as we take our first steps into this next stage of our lives publicly," the statement added. "We would love for everyone to have more access to different kinds of relationship stories and not feel so isolated in navigating the changes that millions of couples make every year.
"We hope our journey can inspire others to see that relationships—whether they change or end—aren’t failures. We’ll keep sharing snippets of our lives as we navigate this new chapter," it concluded.
Alongside the statement, the pair also included a side-by-side image of them from when they first met to now.
While fans were saddened by the news, they also commended both stars on how they are handling their personal business.
"This is the most human and mature way I’ve seen people dealing with divorce. I hope the best for the both of you! Love you both!!" one person wrote in the comments.
"A successful relationship! There is no such thing as failure when you've lived, loved, raised a child, and agreed to keep growing! I applaud you and wish you both all the best and so much love," another added.
A third also chimed in writing: "Why does this one make me so sad? I just loved watching your whole family on your reality show. My love to you all."
We wish both Remini and Pagán the best moving forward.
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