This Is Why Idina Menzel And Taye Diggs Divorced
Hollywood power couple Idina Menzel and Taye Diggs were married for 11 years, from 2003 to 2014. While the pair eventually called it quits, over a decade together is a lifetime in La La Land. E! News confirmed the two actors met while working on the hit stage show "Rent" all the way back in 1995. They eventually tied the knot in 2003.
The high level of attention from fans was difficult for the couple to contend with at times, with Diggs admitting in an interview with Redbook magazine after they split, "Maybe they thought it was cute that we met in 'Rent.' ... It was easy for people to root for us." The cracks had started to show just a year before they called it quits, with Menzel telling People, "I'm not going to glamorize it or glorify it — we go through tough times like everybody else," emphasizing the struggle of their competing schedules. But what really pushed the two to go their separate ways?
Idina Menzel and Taye Diggs separated on great terms
The couple divorced in November 2014, with TMZ confirming at the time that it was an amicable split with neither party seeking spousal support and both agreeing to co-parent and share the financial responsibilities of their son, Walker Diggs. Idina Menzel admitted to The Telegraph that she felt guilty for breaking up their family. "I come from divorced parents and I said I wouldn't ever do it," she revealed.
However, the two continue to have a remarkably strong co-parenting relationship, with Taye Diggs telling Us Weekly in 2017 that they're completely on the same page when it comes to raising Walker and "trust each other." "We both love our son so much, that the best way to raise him is to provide him with whatever we can," he explained simply. OK! Magazine caught them en route to Walker's basketball game together back in 2018, confirming they remain on good terms and are putting on a united front.
Co-parenting is the #1 priority for Idina Menzel and Taye Diggs
Although both Idina Menzel and Taye Diggs have been linked with several people over the years, both have lamented the difficulties of post-divorce dating – particularly with a child. E! News notes that, back in 2014, Menzel told "Valentine in the Morning" that "it all sucks." After living through her parent's divorce, she understands the pain of being introduced to people and becoming attached, only for them to leave your life abruptly.
Diggs, meanwhile, revealed in a 2019 interview with People that his son still didn't like the idea of him dating somebody new. The actor reiterated that Walker comes first, while also emphasizing his strong co-parenting relationship with Menzel once again. "We were friends to start out with, but especially when you have a kid in the mix, there's no time for any negativity," he explained simply. Menzel confirmed their position in her own interview with People, advising, "Your child comes first, that's all. ... He comes first and you have to get past your own egos and you never talk bad about each other."
Idina said Taye was 'judgy' when reading lines together
Considering the two are on good terms now, you might be wondering what led Idina Menzel and Taye Diggs to divorce in the first place. It's possible that it was working in the same business. While the two Broadway stars were once seen as a Hollywood "it" couple, working together reportedly caused some friction between them. In a "Carpool Karaoke" interview with Menzel and her "Cinderella" co-stars, Camila Cabello and Billy Porter, on "The Late Late Show with James Corden," Menzel revealed that her ex could be "judgy" when running lines together.
After asked if Cabello's boyfriend at the time, Shawn Mendes, helped her to prepare for the movie, Cabello admitted that the "Stitches" singer did run lines with her. Menzel chimed in asking how Mendes was with the help, clarifying, "My ex-husband, I love him, but he was a little too judgy with me when I used to run lines and then I got very self-conscious." While the comment was quickly brushed aside with Cabello joking that Mendes was actually the one who was self-conscious running lines, it's hard for fans not to wonder if this might be why Menzel and Diggs didn't work out. It doesn't seem like there are any hard feelings, though. Diggs showed support of Menzel's appearance on the late night show by posting a clip of her singing her iconic "Defying Gravity" on Instagram with the caption, "That's my baby mama."
Did they annoy each other?
Sometimes, after the honeymoon phase of a marriage ends, you find that little things about your partner start to annoy you. This is something Taye Diggs discovered, but about himself. In a 2011 interview with Good Housekeeping, Diggs admitted the hardest part about married life was "being so close to someone that they get on your nerves more than you thought anyone ever could." The "All American" actor clarified, "I'm talking about my getting on her nerves."
Aside from the judgement Idina Menzel felt running lines with Diggs, she did admit one instance where her ex really annoyed her to People. The couple came home after the SAG Awards in 2013 to find a burglar there (via USA Today). According to Menzel, Diggs' "instinct[s] came in" and he chased after the man. While "he was quite the macho man," Menzel revealed, "I was annoyed with him though because I thought it was stupid. The guy could have been armed and he could have been hurt." That's a valid point. Luckily, things worked out and the "Frozen" star shared, "afterward it was sexy to me."
Their busy careers could have been a factor
Of course, another reason that Idina Menzel and Taye Diggs divorced could be a popular reason in Hollywood — busy schedules. We've heard it time and time again when it comes to celebrities in relationships — their schedules just don't line up. Quality time is important for a relationship to work, according to Very Well Mind, so a marriage can suffer if it's missing that element. Menzel admitted to People, "We try not to be away from each other for more than two weeks at a time and we try to find new ways to communicate." However, that can become increasingly harder the busier you are. Since the release of the first "Frozen" film in 2013, Menzel has had quite the busy schedule and even has the "Enchanted" sequel, "Disenchanted," slated to premiere on Disney+ this year.
Diggs has also been consistently working on shows like "All American" as well as movies like "Set It Up" (via IMDb). While they're both busy parents, Menzel and Diggs have made time for their son. She even revealed to Redbook in 2014 that she felt guilty at first sharing her time between work and home. She also shared, "There are a lot of double standards with the way the men in our lives see how we make those choices." Could that be a call out to Diggs? Whether or not this was another area where she felt judged by her ex or not, it's clear that both Menzel and Diggs are working well co-parenting now and killing it in Hollywood at the same time.