Leah Remini, Angelo Pagan share why they are ending marriage after 21 years

Leah Remini and Angelo Pagán are opening up about why they are separating after 21 years of marriage.

The former couple, who announced on Thursday that they have decided to file for divorce, shared in a lengthy joint Instagram post the reason behind their decision, saying "it's what's best for us."

"Well, here we are. After 28 years together and 21 years of marriage, we have decided to file for divorce," they said. "This decision came after a lot of thought and care, and as hard as divorce is, we are approaching this with a positive outlook because we know it's what's best for us."

The note goes on to say, "We are proud of how we have worked through this together."

"Yes, we're sad, and we've got some figuring out to do as we continue to move forward into our new normal — together still in many ways, and apart in some new ones," they added. "But here's the thing: we've been best friends for so many years. We are still celebrating holidays together, watching our favorite tv shows together, and gathering as a family."

As to the reason behind the split, the statement explained, "To put it simply, we both changed, as people do, and we got used to playing roles that didn't fit us anymore." They added, "Our bond is still strong — it's just evolved into something different."

The pair, who share 20-year-old daughter Sofia, said, "From our perspective, this marriage was a huge success."

The couple said they want to be "as transparent as possible" with their new direction, "because, for years, we shared our marriage so publicly, whether it was on our specials on VH1 or our reality show," referencing "Leah Remini: It's All Relative."

They also said of their "new chapter" together, apart, "We hope our journey can inspire others to see that relationships — whether they change or end — aren't failures."