The King of Queens star Leah Remini and Angelo Pagán have announced that they are filing for divorce after 21 years of marriage.
The 54-year-old actress first met the singer in 1996 when he was performing at El Floridita, a Cuban club and restaurant in Los Angeles.
The couple tied the knot in 2003 and welcomed a daughter, Sofia Bella, in the following year. Pagán also has three sons - Angelo Jr., Alex, and Nico - from a previous relationship.
On Friday (August 30), the pair took to Instagram to share a heartfelt joint statement about their decision to go their separate ways.
Read the statement below:The former spouses, who have been together for 28 years, began the statement: "Well, here we are. After 28 years together and 21 years of marriage, we have decided to file for divorce.
"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," they continued. "We are proud of how we have worked through this together.
"Yes, we're sad, and we've got some figuring out to do as we continue to move forward into our new normal - together still in many ways, and apart in some new ones," they added. "But here’s the thing: we’ve been best friends for so many years. We are still celebrating holidays together, watching our favorite TV shows together, and gathering as a family."
The actors explained what led to the decision to file, stating that they both "changed" and "got used to playing roles that didn’t fit us anymore".
Despite their decision to split up, they plan to spend the holidays together, and noted that their bond "is still strong - it’s just evolved into something different".
The Kevin Can Wait star and her longtime husband said they wanted to be "as transparent as we can be" since they shared their marriage "so publicly" in documentaries like VH1 Inside Out: Leah Remini’s Wedding Special.
"We are sharing this unknown territory with you all as we take our first steps into this next stage of our lives publicly," they said. "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," they said, concluding, "We’ll keep sharing snippets of our lives as we navigate this new chapter."
To accompany their heartwarming message, the couple included a picture from the early days of their relationship and another from more recent times, showcasing the journey they have been on together.
The pair's shared message about their divorce received an outpouring of love and support from fans and famous faces.
"A mature perspective on the ending of your marriage, but not an ending on loving each other," one person wrote, while another said: "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!!"
My Wife and Kids star Tisha Campbell also shared some words, writing: "Angelo and Leah I’m so incredibly proud of the two of you! I’ve never witnessed a more understanding, amicable, and loving agreement that was considered with high regard for each other and a vast amount of emotional intelligence and maturity. I wish we all could have the same. I’m so glad I’m in both your lives. I love you guys."
Stand-up comedian George Lopez commented: "Who makes the rules…you do!! Nothing but love and respect for the both of you."
We are sending our best wishes to Remini and Pagán as they embark on this new journey.
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