Frankie Muniz’s estranged wife Paige has defended him after people criticised their divorce announcement.
The Malcolm in the Middle actor shared that he and his wife were splitting up after 10 years together on Wednesday night, but some fans questioned the light-hearted video he published on social media alongside the statement.
It showed the couple and their five-year-old son, Mauz, dancing enthusiastically together to Check Yes, Juliet by We The Kings.
He captioned the post: ‘Who says you can’t stay best friends with your baby momma?’
After Frankie, 40, felt forced to delete the announcement and upload a new one on Instagram, Paige, 33, commented: ‘Frankie, I am so sorry that you felt the need to delete an old fun video of our family because people are so cruel to you.
‘This world is so f*****… divorce is bad, sure — it’s not like we’re excited about it… but we’re two adults who know how to be on the same team.
‘I can’t believe people could scrutinise that.’
‘Frankie out here dropping a divorce announcement like it’s a Malcolm in the Middle blooper reel. Kid doing the guitar solo while mom and dad ‘celebrate’ splitting up is wild,’ read one of the initial tamer comments about the video, with @lobocashflow adding: ‘Some things deserve to stay deleted, bro.’
Others also accused him of making the divorce a ‘spectator sport’.
Frankie then re-shared the statement with a photo of the family smiling together at one of his NASCAR races instead of the home video.
Following the change, many fans then also stepped in to share their support of Frankie and berate those who had made him feel he needed to erase the clip from his social profiles.
‘People are so weird, I’m sorry you felt like you had to delete the dancing video. We’re so used to public toxicity over divorce that people really, really project when they see a couple ending on amiable terms,’ wrote Holland in the Instagram comments.
‘People are so lame for hating on the previous post. All the best to you guys!’ added Kasey, while another follower pointed out the double standards.
‘This is wild to me. Society: “Stop hating on your ex. It’s so toxic for the kids to see. You can remain friends for the sake of the kids.” Also Society: “Omg you guys are remaining friends in a healthy way to raise your son? And made a cute fun video of you guys? What horrible people you are.”’
‘I thought the video was very sweet and hopeful,’ chimed in Chelsea. ‘You guys are a great family no matter what and will always be family. ❤️ hugs!’
Frankie’s statement initially read: ‘Life update! Following a period of separation that we kept private, Paige and I have decided to move forward with ending our marriage.
‘After 10 beautiful years together, we’ve grown in ways that made us realise our relationship feels most natural and strong as a deep friendship and as co-parents.
‘We share an incredible son who remains the centre of our world, and we’re both happier, stronger parents because of the love and growth we’ve shared.’
Frankie acknowledged the role Paige has played in his career, explaining that she put her own plans ‘on hold’ so he could follow his ambitions.
Frankie – who is best known for playing the titular character in hit sitcom Malcolm in the Middle, which was rebooted earlier this year – continued: ‘I’m endlessly grateful to Paige for everything she’s done for me and our family. She put her own dreams on hold so I could chase mine, and she was always my biggest supporter. That foundation of respect and friendship isn’t going anywhere. We’re excited to keep building Muniz Racing together and to co-parent our boy with the same teamwork and love we’ve always had.
‘We’re closing one chapter with gratitude and opening the next with bright futures ahead, for us as individuals and especially for our son.’
Thanking fans for their love and support he then concluded: ‘We both choose to not entertain any questions on this matter. Please respect our families privacy during this time. (sic)’
The pair met in 2016 and got married three years later, before welcoming their son into the world in March 2021.
Earlier this year, Frankie admitted that his career was having a detrimental impact on his personal life.
The actor described Paige as a ‘saint’ and admitted that she was ‘sacrificing so much’ so he could pursue his own dreams.
He told Us Weekly: ‘It is very hard, I won’t lie. Honestly, my wife is a saint. She’s sacrificing so much for me to live my dream.’
Frankie’s other big projects include Big Fat Liar (2002), and Agent Cody Banks (2003), before he famously took a hiatus from acting in 2006 to pursue an ongoing career as a professional race car driver.