“King of Queens” star Leah Remini and husband Angelo Pagan are parting ways after nearly 30 years together.
Remini, 54, and Pagan, 56, announced in joint Instagram posts Thursday that they had decided to file for divorce, ending their 21-year marriage and 28-year relationship, because “we both changed, as people do, and got used to playing roles that no longer fit us.”
“This decision came after much thought and care, and as difficult as divorce is, we are approaching it with a positive outlook because we know it is what is best for us,” they said in the joint statement.
“We’re proud of how we’ve gotten through this together,” they added. “Yes, we’re sad and have some things to figure out as we move toward our new normal — still together in many ways and apart in some new ones. But the truth is, we’ve been best friends for many years. We still celebrate the holidays together, watch our favorite TV shows together, and come together as a family.”
The statement said they were taking this next step into “uncharted territory” after “much effort and consideration,” and that the decision “reflects who we are today.”
“Our bond remains strong, it has just evolved into something different,” the statement said. “We believe that a marriage that lasted so long and created so many beautiful memories, especially raising our amazing daughter, is something to celebrate. From our perspective, this marriage was a great success.”
The New Yorkers shared their relationship publicly in television specials that aired on VH1 and on Remini’s TLC series, “It’s All Relative,” which ran for two seasons. They also said they want to be “as transparent as possible” about their split to potentially help others “have more access to different types of relationship stories and not feel so isolated in navigating the changes that millions of couples make every year.”
“We hope our journey inspires others to see that relationships, whether they change or end, are not failures,” they said. “We will continue to share snippets of our lives as we navigate this new chapter.”
Remini met Pagán in 1996. At the time, the Puerto Rican actor and singer was performing at El Floridita, a Cuban club and restaurant in Hollywood, and Remini told Redbook in 2010 that it was “love at first sight.” They married in 2003 and had their daughter, Sofia Bella, in 2004. (Pagán has three children from a previous relationship.)
The musician also supported his wife during her tumultuous departure from the Church of Scientology, which he documented in his 2015 book “Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology” and the subsequent documentary series “Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath.”
In May, the New York Post reported that Remini and longtime friend Jennifer Lopez had rekindled their friendship following reports that Lopez was splitting from husband Ben Affleck. Lopez filed for divorce earlier this month, ending her two-year marriage to the Oscar winner.
