Actor and race car driver Frankie Muniz has sparked backlash for a family video he posted alongside his divorce announcement, but his estranged wife Paige has come to his defense.
The Malcolm in the Middle actor shared a light-hearted video of the couple and their five-year-old son, Mauz, dancing together, but some fans questioned the tone of the announcement.
Frankie, 40, initially captioned the post: 'Who says you can't stay best friends with your baby momma?' but later deleted the announcement and uploaded a new one with a photo of the family smiling together at one of his NASCAR races.
Paige, 33, commented on the deleted post, saying: 'Frankie, I am so sorry that you felt the need to delete an old fun video of our family because people are so cruel to you. This world is so f*... divorce is bad, sure — it's not like we're excited about it... but we're two adults who know how to be on the same team.'
Paige continued, saying: 'I can't believe people could scrutinise that.' The initial video sparked comments accusing Frankie of making the divorce a 'spectator sport' and saying that the announcement should have been taken more seriously.
However, following the change, many fans stepped in to share their support of Frankie and berate those who had made him feel he needed to erase the clip from his social profiles.
'People are so weird, I'm sorry you felt like you had to delete the dancing video. We're so used to public toxicity over divorce that people really, really project when they see a couple ending on amiable terms,' wrote one fan.
Another fan pointed out the double standards, saying: 'This is wild to me. Society: "Stop hating on your ex. It's so toxic for the kids to see. You can remain friends for the sake of the kids." Also Society: "Omg you guys are remaining friends in a healthy way to raise your son? And made a cute fun video of you guys? What horrible people you are."
Frankie's statement initially read: 'Life update! Following a period of separation that we kept private, Paige and I have decided to move forward with ending our marriage. After 10 beautiful years together, we've grown in ways that made us realise our relationship feels most natural and strong as a deep friendship and as co-parents.'
Frankie acknowledged the role Paige has played in his career, explaining that she put her own plans 'on hold' so he could follow his ambitions.
He continued: 'I'm endlessly grateful to Paige for everything she's done for me and our family. She put her own dreams on hold so I could chase mine, and she was always my biggest supporter. That foundation of respect and friendship isn't going anywhere.'
Frankie thanked fans for their love and support, saying: 'We both choose to not entertain any questions on this matter. Please respect our families' privacy during this time.'
The pair met in 2016 and got married three years later, before welcoming their son into the world in March 2021.
Earlier this year, Frankie admitted that his career was having a detrimental impact on his personal life, describing Paige as a 'saint' and admitting that she was 'sacrificing so much' so he could pursue his own dreams.
