Jennifer Lopez’s best friend Leah Remini and husband Angelo Pagan file for divorce after 21 years of marriage and reveal why relationship broke down

Leah Remini and her husband Angelo Pagan are divorcing after 21 years of marriage.

The couple announced their shock split via a joint Instagram statement on Thursday and revealed ‘why’ their relationship broke down.

The former Scientologist, 53, married Pagan in 2003 and they share 20-year-old daughter Sofia Bella.

The news comes just over a week after her BFF Jennifer Lopez — who she recently reconnected with — pulled the plug on her own marriage to Ben Affleck.

‘Well, here we are. After 28 years together and 21 years of marriage, we have decided to file for divorce,’ Leah and Angelo began in Thursday’s statement.

‘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,’ they continued.

Leah Remini and her husband Angelo Pagan are divorcing after 21 years of marriage; seen in 2018

The former Scientologist married Pagan in 2003 and they share 20-year-old daughter Sofia Bella

Although they’re both ‘sad’ about the end of their marriage, the duo insisted they’re still ‘best friends.’

‘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 favorite tv shows together, and gathering as a family,’ they wrote.

Leah and Angelo went on to reveal ‘why’ they’ve decided to divorce after nearly three decades together.

‘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 anymore.

‘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,’ they explained.

Leah and Angelo see their marriage as a ‘success’ and are looking forward to making ‘beautiful memories’ as exes.

‘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,’ they wrote.

The couple wanted to be ‘transparent’ as they previously let fans in on their family life on their TLC reality series.

The couple announced their shock split via a joint Instagram statement on Thursday that revealed ‘why’ their relationship broke down

Included with their announcement were side-by-side photos of Leah and Angelo — one from back when they first met and the other more recent

‘We want to be as transparent as we can be here because, for years, we shared our marriage so publicly, whether it was on our specials on VH1 or our reality show, which ran for two seasons on TLC,’ they said.

‘We are sharing this unknown territory with you all as we take our first steps into this next stage of our lives publicly.

‘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. Love, Leah & Angelo,’ the couple concluded.

Included with their announcement were side-by-side photos of Leah and Angelo — one from back when they first met and another more recent selfie.

The couple met back in 1996 while Angelo — an actor/singer — was performing at the Los Angeles-based Cuban nightclub, El Floridita.

This was before Leah found mainstream success as Kevin James’ better half Carrie on the hit sitcom King Of Queens, which ran from 1998 to 2007.

Leah previously told Redbook that it was ‘love at first sight’ for her.

Although they have a ‘beautiful love story,’ Leah admitted in 2019 that the couple had ‘a hard time at the beginning’ of their relationship.

‘We didn’t meet under the best of circumstances. We got counseling and it was not an easy road,’ she told RuPaul on his since-canceled talk show.

Despite their rocky star, Leah called Angelo her ‘rock.’

He proposed to Leah on Christmas Eve 2002 and they wed seven months later in July 2003 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.

When they tied the knot, Leah became stepmom to Angelo’s three sons three sons — Angelo Jr., Alex and Nico — from a prior relationship.

For his part, Angelo became part of the Church Of Scientology, a controversial religion that Leah and her family joined back in 1979 when she was just a child.

The couple met back in 1996 while Angelo — an actor/singer — was performing at the Los Angeles-based Cuban nightclub, El Floridita; the couple seen in 2001

Leah previously told Redbook that it was ‘love at first sight’ for her; seen in 2015

The couple welcomed their first child, now 20-year-old daughter Sofia Belle, in June 2004.

The family got their own reality show — Leah Remini: It’s All Relative — in 2014 that aired on TLC for two seasons.

The show brought cameras into the Brooklyn-native’s lavish LA home and also introduced the world to her mother Vicki, stepfather George and sister Shannon.

It closely followed Leah as she ‘juggled her busy career and zany family’ as well as life’s challenges.

Remini’s began shooting the show following her shock exit from Scientology after 35 years in the church. Angelo and Leah’s mother Vicki also left with her.

Leah became a fierce critic of the organization after she left and published a bestselling memoir, Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology, in 2015.

She also appeared in three seasons of the A&E documentary series called Scientology and the Aftermath.

She is currently suing Scientology leader David Miscavige for alleged ‘harassment, surveillance and defamation,’ as per her 2023 lawsuit.

When she decided to leave the church, Leah feared she’d lose her family for good.

‘[I thought,] ‘I’m ready to walk away from everybody that I’ve ever known and cut ties with my own husband, my own mother,’ because you don’t know what they’re going to decide,’ she told ABC News’ 20/20 in 2015.

The couple welcomed their first child, now 20-year-old daughter Sofia Belle, in June 2004; Leah pictured with Angelo during her pregnancy

Both Leah and her husband left Scientology in 2013

But Angelo, as well as her mom Vicki, were fully supportive, which meant ‘everything’ to Leah.

News of the divorce comes amid a time of major life changes for Leah.

Back in February, she revealed on Instagram that she’s been struggling with permienopause — the transitional period before menopause.

She said her ‘body seemed to change overnight’ and that she felt ‘very alone in experiencing it.’

Leah also confessed to dealing with depression and anxiety on a near-daily basis since leaving the Church of Scientology 11 years ago.

She explained that she’s often ‘consumed by fear’ when leaving the house as she accused the religious group of relentlessly putting her, her loved ones and colleagues ‘in danger.’

Amid her health issues, Leah successfully completed college at the age of 53. She announced in March that she had earned her associate’s degree at New York University.

While showing off her diploma on Instagram, Leah wrote: ‘Three years ago, I embarked on a terrifying journey: becoming a college student at the age of 50 after only having an 8th-grade education and spending 35 years in a totalitarian cult.

‘After three years of hard work, long nights, tears, and wanting to give up so many times, I have earned an associate’s degree from NYU.’

She told fans that she would be continuing her higher education and planned to pursue a bachelor’s degree.

Leah has also rekindled her friendship with longtime BFF Jennifer Lopez — two years after their rumored falling out.

A source Page Six in May that the friends had ‘reconnected’ amid Jennifer’s martial woes with Ben Affleck, who she officially filed for divorce from last week.

Leah and Jennifer had reportedly gotten into an argument in regards to her impending marriage to Affleck in 2022.

Leah had expressed her worries to Jennifer, while also reminding her the reason for their first split years earlier: ‘Because he is selfish and is not fully committed as a partner.’

However, following the fight, the On The Floor hitmaker ‘was so mad’ and decided to ‘cut off all ties’ with Leah.

News of the divorce comes amid a time of major life changes for Leah, including getting her college degree; seen in 2019

Leah has also rekindled her friendship with longtime BFF Jennifer Lopez — two years after their rumored falling out; seen in 2018

A source Page Six in May that the friends had ‘reconnected’ amid Jennifer’s martial woes with Ben Affleck, who she officially filed for divorce from last week; Ben and Jen seen in February

In August 2022, Jennifer and Ben held a lavish wedding ceremony in Georgia – after saying ‘I do’ in Las Vegas one month earlier.

Leah was notably absent from the nuptials, with sources telling TMZ that she didn’t make an appearance due to spending time with her daughter, Sofia, who was about to head off to college.

In recent months, Leah reportedly ‘reached out’ to the songstress and a source told Page Six that they are on speaking terms.

The pair first met in 2004 while attending a red carpet premiere when Jennifer was dating her third ex-husband Marc Anthony, with whom she shares 16-year-old twins.

During a joint appearance on The View in 2018, Leah described her and Jennifer’s relationship as ‘very close’ and said that they are ‘like sisters.’

Jennifer added that she and Leah are ‘bonded’ due to their many similarities — both professionally and personally.

‘We understand each other’s lives. We have similar lives and similar careers, and we understand nuances that other people don’t understand, so that also bonded us,’ she told the show’s hosts.