Leah Remini, an American actress, and her husband, Angelo Pagan, have announced their divorce after 21 years of marriage.
In a joint Instagram statement, the King of Queens star stated that the decision came after “a lot of thought and care,” but they chose to split ways because they have “both changed” as people.
The pair, who have a daughter named Sofia and have documented their life in a variety of TV documentaries and reality series, said they want to “inspire others to see that relationships, whether they change or end, aren’t failures.”
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Reasons Behind Leah Remini and Angelo Pagan’s Divorce: A Comprehensive Explanation
Alongside a photo of the couple in their early days and more recently, Leah Remini wrote:
“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.
“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. We are still celebrating holidays together, watching our favourite 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 any more.
“After a lot of effort and consideration, we’ve decided to take this step, which reflects who we are today.”
The actress said they feel their marriage is one to celebrate after creating “many beautiful memories” and producing their “incredible daughter”.
She explained they wanted to be transparent about the change in their relationship after being open about it over the years.
Their wedding in 2003 was captured in the documentary VH1 Inside Out: Leah Remini’s Wedding Special, with a following one released the year after to document the birth of their daughter.
“We are sharing this unknown territory with you all as we take our first steps into this next stage of our lives publicly,” She 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.”
“Love, Leah & Angelo..
Leah Remini is best recognized for her roles as Carrie Heffernan in the US sitcom The King of Queens and Vanessa Cellucci in Kevin Can Wait.
The actress has also spoken openly about her time with The Church of Scientology, and she received two Emmy Awards for her series, Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath, which explored her time with the religion.
She launched a complaint against the organisation and its leader, David Miscavige, last year, claiming in a statement that she had suffered 17 years of “psychological torture, defamation, surveillance, harassment, and intimidation” that had “significantly” harmed her life and work.
The Church of Scientology called the case “ludicrous” and her charges “pure lunacy”.
