Leah Remini and Angelo Pagán announce they are divorcing after 21 years of marriage

‘Our bond is still strong,’ the actors said in a joint statement

Leah Remini and Angel Pagán have announced they are separating after more than two decades of marriage.

The King of Queens star, 54, first started dating the Shameless actor, 56 after they met in a Hollywood nightclub called El Floridita in 1996. They married seven years later at the Four Seasons Hotel in Las Vegas.

Remini and Pagán, who confirmed they will remain close despite their decision to divorce, said they hoped their split would “inspire others to see that relationships – whether they change or end – aren’t failures”.

Alongside photos of herself and Pagán throughout their years together, Remini wrote on Instagram: “Well, here we are. After 28 years together and 21 years of marriage, we have decided to file for divorce.”

She continued: “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,” Remini said.

“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 actor, who has become a vocal critic of theChurch of Scientology in recent years, added she wanted to be transparent about her and Pagán’s break up as they had previously shared their lives with fans in documentaries like VH1 Inside Out: Leah Remini’s Wedding Special.

Leah Remini and Angelo Pagan have announced they have filed for divorce after 21 years of marriage (Getty Images)

“We are sharing this unknown territory with you all as we take our first steps into this next stage of our lives publicly,” she said.

“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.”

Last year, Remini filed a lawsuit against the Church of Scientology and its leader David Miscavige, claiming she had suffered 17 years of “psychological torture” and “intimidation”.

The church subsequently called the actor “an anti-free speech bigot” in response to the lawsuit, which it described as “pure lunacy”.