Taye Diggs is giving his ex-wife, Idina Menzel, ample credit when it comes to their publicly admired co-parenting of 15-year-old son Walker Diggs.
“She is — she’s driving. She’s the driver of the bus. So I respect that,” he says of Menzel. “And it’s worked out pretty OK so far. So, if it ain’t broke, I’m not trying to fix a beautiful thing.”
When asked how the two former “Rent” co-stars maintain their family dynamic after deciding to separate in 2013, Diggs breaks out a big smile, telling TODAY.com backstage at 30 Rock, “It’s Walker.”
“We both love Walker so much that it only works if we think about him first, and when we put him first,” Diggs says, beaming. “We can’t help but kind of respect each other and what we’re all bringing.”
The actor, who is returning to the stage in “Moulin Rouge” on Broadway, is quick to credit Menzel for her impact.
The praise is mutual. In a January interview with TODAY.com, Menzel said she’s “proud” of how she and Diggs manage co-parenting following divorce.
“I have to say that I’m very proud of that,” she said at the time. “We really don’t believe in putting a child in the middle of anything and forcing them to have to choose in any way, and we never speak poorly of the other. I’m really proud of us for putting him first.”
Walker has been homeschooled this year so he can split time between his dad in California and his mom in New York. In the January interview, Menzel poked fun at her constant need to be near her son.
“I can’t be away from him for more than a couple weeks. I’m too controlling,” Menzel joked.
In 1996, Diggs and Menzel met when starring in the Broadway production of “Rent,” in which they originated the roles of Benjamin Coffin III and Maureen Johnson. They welcomed Walker in 2009 and subsequently separated after 10 years of marriage. Menzel has been married to actor-turned-therapist Aaron Lohr since 2017.
In the past year, Walker has begun stepping out to show support for each of his parent’s impressive careers.
In November 2024, Walker made a red carpet appearance alongside his mom at the Los Angeles premiere of the movie “Wicked,” based on the Broadway show in which Menzel originated the role of Elphaba. A month later, Walker accompanied his dad at the Critics Choice’s Celebration Of Black Cinema in LA.
As for whether Walker has acquired his parents’ singing and acting chops, Diggs gushed about him to “Entertainment Tonight” in an April 2024 interview.
“He can act. He can sing. He can dance,” Diggs said at the time of Walker, adding that his son is also “a fierce athlete.”
