Taye Diggs Makes Surprising Claim About Co-Parenting with Ex-Wife Idina Menzel Following Her Explosive Remarks About Their ‘Complicated’ Marriage
Taye Diggs, 54, is opening up about his co-parenting style with ex-wife Idina Menzel, 53.
The two Broadway actors met in 1995 while starring in the Broadway musical production of “Rent,” as Benjamin “Benny” Coffin III and Maureen Johnson, respectively. They got married in 2003, welcomed their son, Nathaniel Diggs, in 2009 and divorced in 2014.
Diggs addressed the topic of raising their now-15-year-old Walker in an interview with Us Weekly.
“It’s fairly simple with us. We’ve always tried to put [our son] first,” the Syracuse University graduate told the outlet about his and Menzel’s relationship.
He continued, “Because we do that, it doesn’t really leave room for us to speak negatively about each other. We want him to have as smooth and loving relationship as possible with all of us involved.”
After their split, Diggs and the “Frozen” actress maintained relationships with other people while still keeping a strong foundation for their son.
“The more we all can get along, the better it is for him and the more love and positive energy he gets,” Diggs stated. “We’re pretty proud about the way that we handled our relationship. Hopefully, it will continue.”
Taye Diggs and his son Walker Nathaniel.❤️❤️ pic.twitter.com/uQ7nFLTqV3
— Mr Phenomenal( Donell Payne Bambo) (@PayneBambo) December 17, 2024
Menzel, a Jewish white woman, suggested Diggs’ being a Black man played a role in their initial breakup in 2013. While on the “Dinner’s on Me” podcast in 2023, the Tony Award winner discussed the complications of being in a racially mixed marriage.
“It’s very complicated. I mean, very supportive of each other, always,” Menzel explained to “Dinner’s on Me” host Jesse Tyler Ferguson. “The thing that came into play more, I would say, is the racial, interracial aspect of it.”
The “Wicked” actress added, “He was on the cover of Essence and Ebony and being interviewed by all of these Black journalists, and I think, he had his own stuff to deal with that and it seemed like there was disappointment in the community.”
Menzel also claimed Broadway was more accepting of interracial couples than Hollywood. Additionally, she admitted photographers at red carpet events would ask to get a picture of Diggs alone when they arrived on the scene together.
Walker has had his own red-carpet moments after joining his famous father to pose for pictures on the red carpet at the Critics Choice’s Celebration of Black Cinema and Television in Los Angeles on Dec. 9.
Menzel has gotten to share a walk down the carpet wih their son as well as the Los Angeles premiere of the “Wicked” motion picture on Nov. 9. But she still has reservations about her son stepping into the bright lights of showbiz.
“I never let him ever go on the red carpet with me,” Menzel told Today last month before adding, “He’s gotten to the age where he says, ‘I’m proud of you, Mom. I want to be with you.’ So then I felt like it was OK.”
Menzel shared her experience co-parenting with Diggs during that 2024 Today interview. Like her ex-husband, the “Let It Go” singer had good things to say about their post-marriage parental duties.
This feels like a great time to remind yall Taye Diggs and Idina Menzel used to be married https://t.co/cP625tats3 pic.twitter.com/k2vhgZSOQk
— The Black Lexi Howard (@blexihoward) November 29, 2024
“We really don’t believe in putting a child in the middle of anything and forcing them to have to choose in any way, and we never speak poorly of the other. I’m really proud of us for putting him first,” she said.
Digg’s ex-wife went on to date “Rent” movie actor Aaron Lohr, for two years before getting married on Sept. 22, 2017.
Diggs was romantically connected to “Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood” star Apryl Jones for about a year between 2022 to 2023. Many believed they were headed for marriage after Diggs invoked his mother when describing the sweet things Jones did for him.
During the couple’s appearance on “Unconsciously Coupled with Erinn and Oliver Hudson” podcast, the “Best Man” star revealed that he received a text message from his psychic friend, whom he hadn’t seen in months. The friend told him that his mother, Marcia Berry, who died in 2019 from cancer, sent Jones to him.
“I get a text from my psychic and literally it’s just a single line that says, ‘she’s the one,” Diggs said in February 2023.
He, Menzel, Lohr were all part of the 2005 feature film version of “Rent.” In addition, Menzal and Diggs were both cast in the 2002 dark comedy “Just a Kiss.” Walker’s parents have had multiple television gigs throughout their respective careers as well.
