Frankie Muniz’s estranged wife is on his side.
After the actor deleted his first divorce announcement and uploaded a new one following backlash, Paige Price rushed to the comments section to defend him.
“Frankie, I’m so sorry you felt the need to delete old funny videos of our family because people are so cruel to you,” Price wrote under the joint Instagram post on Wednesday, adding, “This world is so crazy.”
While acknowledging that “divorce is a bad thing,” the model said that neither she nor her estranged husband are “thrilled about it.”
However, she noted that they are “two adults who know how to get on the same team,” and concluded her remarks by saying, “I can’t believe people would scrutinize that.”
Price, who has a 5-year-old son, Mautz, with Muniz, later shared a black-and-white image of the ocean on her Instagram Story with the message: “The internet is a scary place. I want everyone to be kinder to the ocean.”
In the next slide, the 34-year-old added: “Misreading does not change one’s own structure. It only reveals the limitations of the observer.”
Earlier in the day, Muniz, 40, posted a video of herself dancing in her living room with We the Kings’ 2007 song “Check Yes Juliet” playing in the background.
The words “Who says you can’t be best friends with your baby mama?” It was written on the clip.
“🚨Life Update!🚨After a period of our private separation, Paige and I have decided to move forward with ending our marriage,” she captioned the upload.
“After 10 wonderful years together, we have grown to realize that our relationship as a deep friendship and as parents is the most natural and strong. We share an amazing son, he remains the center of our world, and we are both happier and stronger parents because of the love and growth we have shared.”
The “Malcolm in the Middle” star, who is now a professional NASCAR driver, made sure to praise Price for “everything he’s done” for him and his family, including “putting my dreams on hold” to pursue his own.
“She has always been my biggest supporter,” he marveled, insisting that their “foundation of respect and friendship will never be lost.”
Muniz went on to say that Muniz and the actress are “very excited to continue building[the racing business]Muniz Racing together and co-parenting[their]son with the same teamwork and love.”
He continued, “As individuals and especially for our son, we close one chapter with gratitude and open the next with a bright future ahead. Thank you for your love and support.”
The “Big Fat Liar” star concluded by saying that neither he nor Price “will take any questions regarding this matter,” and asking for “respect” and “privacy.”
However, many netizens were “embarrassed” by the “bizarre” dance video, with some accusing Muniz of “divorcing his wife and celebrating the breakup of his family.”
Conservative political commentator Michael Knowles was among those who condemned the “bizarre” and “disturbing” footage, claiming the accompanying message made him “nauseous”.
Muniz responded via X, saying, “It was not to celebrate the divorce. That was not the case at all. We were saddened by the divorce more than we could ever imagine.”
“It was to celebrate the fact that we’re both adults and that we can move on amicably, just like adults do. Everyone’s just used to the horrible mudslinging that a lot of couples do at the end of a relationship, and they don’t know how to take that when two people are honest.”
His second divorce announcement included a family photo and the same caption.
The former couple married in February 2020 after getting engaged in November 2018. They had been dating for almost three years.
