Frankie Muniz's estranged wife, Paige, has publicly defended the actor after his divorce announcement video drew criticism for being too light-hearted. The Malcolm in the Middle star, 40, shared the news of their split on Wednesday night, but the accompanying video—showing the couple and their five-year-old son, Mauz, dancing to Check Yes, Juliet by We The Kings—was met with backlash from some fans.
Video sparks backlash
The video, captioned 'Who says you can’t stay best friends with your baby momma?', was criticized by commenters who felt it was inappropriate for a divorce announcement. One user wrote: '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.' Another added: 'Some things deserve to stay deleted, bro.' Others accused him of making the divorce a 'spectator sport'.
Frankie subsequently deleted the video and reposted the announcement with a family photo from one of his NASCAR races instead. Paige, 33, then commented on the situation, expressing her support for Frankie. She wrote: '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.'
Fans rally in support
After the change, many fans stepped in to defend Frankie and criticize those who made him feel compelled to remove the clip. A commenter named Holland wrote: '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.' Another fan, Kasey, added: 'People are so lame for hating on the previous post. All the best to you guys!' One follower highlighted 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.”'
Chelsea chimed in: 'I thought the video was very sweet and hopeful. You guys are a great family no matter what and will always be family.'
Frankie's initial statement
Frankie's original announcement 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.'
He acknowledged Paige's role in his career, saying she put her own plans 'on hold' so he could pursue his ambitions. He 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.'
He thanked fans for their support and concluded: 'We both choose to not entertain any questions on this matter. Please respect our families privacy during this time.'
Background on the couple
The pair met in 2016 and married three years later, welcoming their son in March 2021. Earlier this year, Frankie admitted that his career was impacting his personal life, describing Paige as a 'saint' and acknowledging that she was 'sacrificing so much' so he could pursue his 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 is best known for his role in Malcolm in the Middle, which was rebooted earlier this year. He also starred in Big Fat Liar (2002) and Agent Cody Banks (2003), before taking a hiatus from acting in 2006 to pursue a career as a professional race car driver.
