Taye Diggs’ ex-wife, Idina Menzel, is opening up about the challenges she faced in an interracial marriage.
After initially meeting in 1995 while working on Broadway’s “Rent,” Menzel and Diggs tied the knot in 2003 before divorcing in 2014. While they are reportedly cordial with one another today, Menzel admitted during a recent interview with the “Dinner’s on Me” podcast that being married to an African-American man weighed heavily on the both of them because his fans felt he should be with a Black woman.
“He’s on the cover of Essence and Ebony and being interviewed by all 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 with him because he was married to [a] white, Jewish girl from some show we don’t even remember,” she explained.
Menzel explained that during red-carpet events, she would be asked to move aside so photographers could capture images of Diggs by himself. The now 52-year-old felt that she often lived in his shadows, even though he was very supportive of her Broadway and acting endeavors.
“The thing that came into play more and he’s talked about it too is the interracial aspect.”
Sadly, the cultural differences seemingly proved too much to bear. However, the pair did not undergo a nasty divorce. Neither asked for spousal support nor child support, and were able to finalize the split rather quickly. They maintain a good relationship for the sake of their teenage son, Walker.
Diggs has not responded publicly to Menzel’s revelation. He is currently in a relationship with Apryl Jones, who is of mixed race.
