Idina Menzel Says Response Over 'Interracial Aspect' of Her and Taye Diggs' Relationship Impacted Marriage

The Broadway star opened up about their 2013 split on Jesse Tyler Ferguson's 'Dinner's On Me' podcast

Idina Menzel is opening up about her 2013 split with ex-husband Taye Diggs.

The Disenchanted star, 52, revealed to Jesse Tyler Furguson during a Tuesday episode of his Dinner's on Me podcast that the response over the "interracial aspect" of her marriage with Diggs, 52, affected their relationship.

"The thing that came into play more, I would say — he's talked about it too — is the interracial aspect of it," Menzel shared when asked if their career successes played a role.

"When you're in the theater, it's just not a thing. We all love each other, sleep with each other and [are] best friends with whoever whats to be, whatever sexual orientation," she continued. "But when you leave that cocoon, that bubble, in his case he's [in] PEOPLE's 50 most beautiful people... He was on the cover of Essence, Ebony, being interviewed by all these Black journalists. He had his own stuff to deal with in that."

Menzel — who met Diggs during the original production of Broadway's Rent in the mid-'90s — then explained that "it seemed like there was disappointment in the community with him because he was married to a little White Jewish girl from some show that we don't even remember."

As she told Ferguson, she "took that on, too" and it became "stuff we had to deal with." She added: "It was less about being successful and more about that kind of stuff."

Diggs previously opened up about the pair's split during a 2014 conversation with Redbook. "I’d be lying if I said there weren’t times when I thought, ‘Oh, man, people are going to trip out [if we split],' " he said at the time.

"Maybe they thought it was cute that we met in Rent,” Diggs added. “There weren’t a lot of couples like us in the theater community — and I know there aren’t a lot of performers as talented as she is … and then you have the whole mixed [race] thing. It was easy for people to root for us.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Menzel and Diggs married in 2003 and welcomed their son, Walker, in 2009. They announced that they split in December 2013. Menzel then married actor Aaron Lohr in September 2017 and Diggs began a relationship with Apryl Jones in January 2022.

Despite their divorce, the pair still prioritize being co-parents to Walker, 14.

In 2022, Diggs told host Janine Rubenstein on the PEOPLE Every Day podcast that Menzel "has a career and she has her own relationships and she still makes sure that Walker is where he needs to be when he needs."

"He's got the best coaches and the best teachers, and we're at the best schools, and it's all because of her," the actor continued.

And back in August, Menzel opened up about raising Walker. During an appearance on Today with Hoda & Jenna, she said that her teen has grown to have his own interests — and that it doesn't always include his mom's singing. "

He's super proud of me when he actually sees me sing," she said. "But it's at home that he just kinda tells me to be quiet." She added: "Oh, in the car, if I sing in front of his friends...Well no, he doesn't just give me the stink eye, he'll be like, 'Mom, zip it.' "

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.