It’s over for Joshua Malina and Melissa Merwin . The 58-year-old “West Wing” actor’s wife of nearly 28 years filed for divorce, according to court documents obtained by TMZ on Monday, August 5. Merwin, 61, cited “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for the split but did not list their date of separation.
She did not request child support from Malina as the pair share two adult children: daughter Isabel, 26, and son Avi, 22 — but she is demanding spousal support. Merwin worked in the costume department on productions like “Ellen,” “Fallen,” and “Point of No Return;” however, her last gig listed on IMDB was in 1998. Malina’s divorce will likely be smooth sailing as TMZ noted his estranged wife would like to dissolve their nearly 30-year marriage “amicably” and “with minimal court intervention.
” Since their kids are adults, child support and custody won’t be issues. The Post has reached out to Malina’s rep for comment. Malina — known for playing Will Bailey on the NBC drama “The West Wing” — met his soon-to-be ex-wife through her sister, Jennifer Merwin , and former brother-in-law Timothy Busfield in 1992.
The pair dated several years before tying the knot in December 1996. Despite being together for over three decades, the actor and his estranged wife kept their marriage and family life out of the public eye. In July 2022, Malina paid tribute to Merwin on her special day by posting a photo of her hiking.
“Happy bday to my Maine gal, and the love of my life,” he wrote on Instagram . In another rare post from 2020, Malina praised his wife and their union. “I’ve been married to this beauty for 24 years!” he captioned a photo of Merwin.
Five years earlier, the actor posted another image of Merwin smiling and working on a floral arrangement. “My beautiful wife, at her store,” he captioned the picture in 2015. Malina has been a familiar face on television, starring in several prominent roles over the past three decades.
He appeared in 80 episodes of “The West Wing” from 2002 to 2006. He also played President Siebert on “The Big Bang Theory” from 2011 to 2019, David Rosen on “Scandal” from 2012 to 2018, and Jeremy Goodwin on “Sports Night” from 1998 to 2000. In recent years, he’s been in shows like “Inventing Anna,” “Shameless,” “This Is Us,” “The Rookie,” “The Good Doctor,” “American Horror Story,” and more.
Malina returned to Broadway in Tom Stoppard ’s “Leopoldstadt” in 2023, marking his first stage performance since 1989. “I grew up in New Rochelle, in Westchester county — the suburbs of Manhattan. It was a lovely place to live,” Malina told Bond Official at the time.
“One great perk of being so close to the city was seeing many outstanding theaters on and off-Broadway. Sitting in the audience fed my desire to get up on stage myself. I always threw myself into any opportunity to act.
” Malina added, “Returning to Broadway for the first time since appearing in Aaron Sorkin’s A Few Good Men in 1989 is an absolute thrill, and it does feel like a return to home.”.
