Leah Remini has finalized her divorce from Angelo Pagán, marking the end of their 21-year marriage. The announcement comes just one day after the couple revealed their decision to separate.
On August 30, court documents obtained by PEOPLE confirmed that Remini, filed for divorce in Los Angeles County Superior Court. In the legal paperwork, Remini cited “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for the split and listed August 1 as the date of separation.
The news of their split was first shared on August 29 via a joint Instagram post from the couple. “After 28 years together and 21 years of marriage, we have decided to file for divorce,” the post 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.”
In their Instagram announcement, Remini and Pagán described their marriage as “a huge success” and expressed their intention to continue creating cherished memories, albeit in a different context. “We want to be as transparent as we can be here because, for years, we shared our marriage so publicly, whether it was on our specials on VH1 or our reality show, which ran for two seasons on TLC,” the statement continued. “We are sharing this unknown territory with you all as we take our first steps into this next stage of our lives publicly.”
The couple shares a daughter, 20-year-old Sofia Bella. Remini and Pagán also emphasized their hope that their experience could help others who are navigating similar changes in their relationships. “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,” they wrote. “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.”
Remini and Pagán first met in 1996 at El Floridita, a Cuban restaurant and nightclub in Los Angeles where Pagán was performing. They married in 2003. Pagán has three sons from a previous relationship: Angelo Jr., Alex, and Nico.
Throughout their time together, the couple was known for their public displays of affection and humor. On their TLC reality show, Remini humorously addressed their relationship dynamics, saying that her solution to any marital problem was to engage in intimacy. “Here’s the thing: he’s always groping me and trying to have sex,” Remini joked on the show. “Like, he’ll have sex with a party downstairs. Like, I can’t have sex if there’s a party. But him, it doesn’t matter, real quick.” Despite the playful comments, she also expressed her affection, stating, “I wouldn’t have it any other way though because I kind of love that my husband always wants to have sex with me. So that’s a good thing.”
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In a poignant gesture, Remini reposted a clip from the show on Pagán’s birthday in May 2023, celebrating him with a heartfelt message. “Happy birthday to my Angelo! I love you!” she wrote. “Here’s video evidence of how you ended up with four kids! You are such a great dad and granddad!”
Remini’s announcement and subsequent actions underscore the couple’s commitment to maintaining a positive outlook as they transition into this new chapter of their lives. As they navigate the public and personal aspects of their separation, both Remini and Pagán are focused on embracing the change with grace and transparency.
