Almost a decade after their heartbreaking divorce, the former Broadway power couple Idina Menzel and Taye Diggs are once again trending.
The pair first separated after 10 years of marriage, and Menzel recently opened up about the more complex reasons for their spilt all those years ago shocking many fans
Idina Menzel shared that the interracial aspect of her relationship with ex-husband Taye Diggs played a major role in their 2013 split.
The Frozen star actress made this big reveal while appearing on the "Dinner's on Me" podcast. Idina told host Jesse Tyler Ferguson that there were complicated reasons for her split with Diggs after 10 years of marriage.
"The thing that came into play more, I would say and Taye has talked about it too, is the interracial aspect of it," Menzel shared.
The Broadway singer stated that their respective success was never an issue in their marriage as many speculated at the time as the divorce came as both of their careers seem to be soaring to greater heights. However, Idina said their growing career achievements did not impact their marriage as much as the multifaceted racial challenges they experienced.
"[Taye] 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, with that," she added. "And it seemed like there was some disappointment in the community with him, because he was married to a little white Jewish girl."
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Menzel said in the theater community, differences in race, ethnicity and sexual orientation were usually overlooked as a cause for split because most people don't consider that their words have weight and could potentially hurt someone whether a celebrity or not. And as time passed, the constant comments about their different ethnicity and religion began to slowly chip away at their once strong relationship which took a toil on her.
"So, I took that on too. That was stuff we had to deal with," Menzel shared. "It was less about being successful and more about that stuff."
Before their split, the duo had built a reputation as a power couple in the entertainment industry with Diggs starring in the 1998 romantic comedy "How Stella Got Her Groove Back" and Menzel starring as the original Elphaba in the first Wicked Broadway production in 2003.
However, the more fame the couple attained the more attention was drawn to their race and color. Especially comments about him being together with a white Jewish girl. Some fans even went as far as to express their disappointment, so, I took that on too. That’s stuff that we had to deal with. said Menzel during the poscast,
Speaking on their time together before marriage and how they navigated their careers together, Menzel shared that as Diggs continued to gain fame in the late 1990s, she felt as if she was in her then-partner's shadow. "You know, it’s the ‘Can we get a picture of him by himself?'" she said of her early red carpet appearances with Diggs.
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“He was relieved, probably [when I booked "Wicked"], and happy and proud of me,” she said. “He was always so supportive and probably relieved, so he didn’t have to feel like he was overshadowing me in some way or taking up too much space.” Menzel said on the podcast.
She also added that they both continue to support each other to this day.
Broadway newcomer Menzel and stage veteran Diggs met in 1995 while both starring in "Rent" as Maureen Johnson and Benjamin “Benny” Coffin III. The two of them later reprised their roles in the 2005 film adaptation of the play.
Just few years after their first meeting, in what you call a whirlwind romance, idina and Diggs got married in 2003 and welcomed their son Walker Diggs in 2009.
By December 2013, the pair separated and decided to co-parent Walker apart and finalized their divorce the next year.
Apart of this shocking revelation by Mendel, Taya Diggs has also in the past hinted about the consequences of the segragation upheld by different races and colors. He made this hint following the release of his new book racial injustice, which he says was inspired by his 12-year-old son with Idina Menzel.
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