Paige Price Muniz defended Frankie Muniz after their first divorce announcement video drew criticism and the actor removed it from social media.
The Malcolm in the Middle actor, 40, announced on Wednesday, July 1, that he and Paige, 33, are divorcing after a private separation. In the statement, Frankie said they had spent “10 beautiful years together” and now see their relationship as strongest as “a deep friendship” and co-parenting partnership.
The first version of the announcement included a family video of Frankie, Paige and their 5-year-old son, Mauz, dancing together to We the Kings’ “Check Yes, Juliet,” according to PEOPLE. The caption asked, “Who says you can’t stay best friends with your baby momma?”
After the post was criticized online, Frankie deleted the video and shared a more straightforward divorce statement. Paige then defended him in the comments, saying the response to the original family clip had been cruel.
Paige Said the Video Was an “Old Fun” Family Clip
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Paige responded under Frankie’s new post after the first video was removed. “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,” she wrote, according to PEOPLE.
She also pushed back on the idea that the former couple was treating the split casually. “This world is so f—ed… 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 wrote. “I can’t believe people could scrutinize that.”
When another Instagram user asked why she made the comment publicly, Paige said she had already spoken to Frankie directly. “I did say it to his face. 1000 times,” she wrote. “And I’ll say it through text just as much because I genuinely care. That’s the point.”
Paige also addressed the reaction on her Instagram Stories. PEOPLE reported that she posted a black-and-white ocean photo with the text, “The internet is a scary place. I wish you all a kinder sea.”
Frankie Said They Will Keep Working Together
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Frankie’s divorce statement said the pair had separated privately before deciding to end their marriage. “After 10 beautiful years together, we’ve grown in ways that made us realize our relationship feels most natural and strong as a deep friendship and as co-parents,” he wrote, according to Entertainment Weekly.
He said Mauz “remains the center of our world” and thanked Paige for supporting him and their family. “She put her own dreams on hold so I could chase mine, and she was always my biggest supporter,” Frankie wrote.
The statement also said the two plan to keep building Muniz Racing together. Frankie, who has continued acting while pursuing professional racing, described that partnership as part of the respect and friendship he said will remain between them.
Frankie asked followers not to send questions about the divorce and requested privacy for their family and their son.
The Couple Married in 2020 After Eloping Months Earlier
Frankie and Paige first met in 2016 and got engaged in November 2018. They eloped in October 2019 before holding a larger wedding ceremony in February 2020, according to PEOPLE.
The pair welcomed Mauz in March 2021. Frankie told PEOPLE in February 2025 that fatherhood had become one of the central parts of his life. “I love it. I am always striving to be the best dad I can be,” he said at the time.
Frankie has also been balancing his racing schedule with his return to Malcolm in the Middle. He told Entertainment Weekly earlier this year that he filmed the revival Sunday through Wednesday, flew to race on Thursday, raced on Friday and returned Saturday.
“It was exhausting, but I also know how cool it is to have the opportunity to get to do this again, so I wasn’t going to complain at all,” Frankie said.