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Jennifer Lopez’s best friend, Leah Remini, filed for divorce from Angelo Pagán after almost three decades of marriage. The actress and former member of the Church of Scientology shared a statement on social media announcing the news.
“After 28 years together and 21 years of marriage, we have decided to file for divorce,” Leah and Angelo shared in a joint statement on X (formerly known as Twitter). “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.”
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Leah Remini & boyfriend Angelo Pagan (Photo by Gregg DeGuire/WireImage)
The pair, who share a 20-year-old daughter, Sofia, will continue co-parenting peacefully. “We are proud of how we have worked through this together.”
“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,” Leah and Angelo added. “But here’s the thing: we’ve been best friends for so many years. We are still celebrating holidays together, watching our favorite TV shows together, and gathering as a family.”
They added, “We hope our journey can inspire others to see that relationships—whether they change or end—aren’t failures.”
What led to the divorce of Leah and Angelo?
The former couple shared the reasons why they are calling it quits. “To put it simply, we both changed, as people do, and we got used to playing roles that didn’t fit us anymore,” they wrote in their statement. “After a lot of effort and consideration, we’ve decided to take this step, which reflects who we are today. Our bond is still strong—it’s just evolved into something different.”
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The two concluded, saying, “We think a marriage that lasted this long and created so many beautiful memories, especially raising our incredible daughter, is something to celebrate. From our perspective, this marriage was a huge success. And now, we’re looking forward to creating even more cherished moments—just in a different way.”
The announcement comes a week after Leah’s longtime friend, Jennifer Lopez, also filed for divorce from Ben Affleck, two years after tying the knot in a lavish wedding in Georgia.
Contrary to Leah, Lopez has not released any statements and cited “irreconciliable differences” as the motive for their divorce. A source close to Lopez revealed that the singer struggled with Affleck’s moods and emotions. Lopez “did spend a lot of time making sure Ben was happy and had everything he needed,” said a source to PEOPLE. “The way she cared for him was almost childlike,” they continued. “Friends constantly reminded her that she’s not responsible for his feelings. He’s very moody and dark at times. Jennifer appreciates life in another way. She’s very grateful for everything.”
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TOPSHOT – US actress Jennifer Lopez (R) and US actor Ben Affleck kiss as they attend Amazon’s “This is Me… Now: A Love Story” premiere at the Dolby theatre in Hollywood, California, February 13, 2024. (Photo by Robyn BECK / AFP) (Photo by ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images)
An insider close to Jennifer Garner claims that Affleck can be difficult to handle. “He doesn’t have good coping skills. He gets easily frustrated and tends to be moody. When he’s relaxed and in a good mood, it’s amazing to be around him,” said the source. “But more often, he’s upset or frustrated.”
“Many times, it’s just something small that he gets stuck on,” continued the source. “He really doesn’t understand how his bad mood affects people around him. It’s just not fun being around that kind of negativity.”
