Leah Remini and her husband, Angelo Pagán , have decided to end their marriage after 21 years, announcing the decision in a joint statement on Instagram on Thursday, August 29. “Well, here we are. After 28 years together and 21 years of marriage, we have decided to file for divorce,” the announcement read.
“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. 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.
” “But here’s the thing: we’ve been best friends for so many years,” the post added. “We are still celebrating holidays together, watching our favorite tv shows together, and gathering as a family.” A post shared by Leah Remini (@leahremini) The King of Queens alum met Pagán in 1996, and the pair tied the knot in 2003.
They have a daughter, Sofia Bella, who turned 18 in June. Pagán also has three sons from a previous relationship. As for why the former couple have decided to separate, the statement noted, “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.” In recent years, Remini, who grew up in the Church of Scientology before leaving the organization in 2013, has been releasing books and documentaries railing against the movement. She released her New York Times best-selling memoir Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology in 2015 and followed it up with the Emmy-winning docuseries Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath on A&E in 2016.
Despite the end of the relationship, Remini and Pagán wrote in their joint statement that the marriage was “a success.” “We think a marriage that lasted this long and created so many beautiful memories, especially raising our incredible daughter, is something to celebrate,” they shared. “And now, we’re looking forward to creating even more cherished moments—just in a different way.
” The pair said they wanted to “be as transparent” as possible because of how they shared their marriage so publicly over the years. Remini and Pagán starred in the TLC reality series Leah Remini: It’s All Relative in 2014. “We are sharing this unknown territory with you all as we take our first steps into this next stage of our lives publicly,” they wrote.
“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,” the statement concluded. “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.
” This article first appeared on TV Insider and was syndicated with permission..
