Malcolm in the Middle star Frankie Muniz, 40, has opened up about his intense struggles after splitting from his wife, actress and model Paige Price.
In the weeks following the couple’s July 1 announcement of separation, Muniz, who is now a race car driver, wrote a series of posts on X alluding to his mental health, saying his heart “physically aches” and that he’s “struggling.” The posts culminated with an Instagram reflection on how he’s doing.
“The last 6 weeks of my life have been a nightmare I’m praying to wake up from,” he wrote under a photograph of himself on a beige couch in front of a houseplant. “Everything felt heavy, unclear, and like it was falling apart at the same time. I wouldn’t wish this season on anyone.”
Muniz was nominated for an Emmy for his work as the titular role in Malcolm in the Middle, which he reprised in the 2026 revival miniseries, Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair. He and Price eloped in October 2019 and held a wedding celebration in February 2020. They have a five-year-old son, Mauz Mosley.
Muniz announced what seemed to be an amicable divorce on social media, writing that they will remain friends and continue to prioritize their son.
“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, adding, “She put her own dreams on hold so I could chase mine, and she was always my biggest supporter.”
He also shared a video of the family dancing in their living room, but soon deleted it after backlash from internet users who slammed the lighthearted video as inappropriate for a divorce announcement. Price commented in support of Muniz on his new post, which didn’t include the video.
“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. “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. I can’t believe people could scrutinize that."
Despite his hardships, Muniz added in his reflection on Friday that he’s found an “unexpected gift” in the muddle of the past few months. He said that “hitting rock bottom” forced him to reconcile his current self with the version of himself he wants to become.
“I’ve had nowhere to hide,” he wrote. “I’ve had time to sit with myself, do real self-reflection, and finally see the areas of my life that need work if I want to become a better version of me. Not the polished version I show the world... the actual one. I read that sometimes hitting rock bottom is the thing that wakes you up. It forces the changes you needed to make all along so you can live the best life possible. That idea has been sitting with me.”
Muniz finished his post on a hopeful note. He looked toward the future, saying that he’s excited for the growth he’ll have achieved.
“In five years I believe I’ll look back at this exact low point and feel grateful for it, because the high I’ll be standing on then only exists because I went through this,” he said. “This isn’t the end of the story. It’s the part where I start doing the work...the uncomfortable, unglamorous, necessary work. I’m choosing to treat this season as the foundation, not the finish line.”
“If you’re in a low place right now too, you’re not broken,” he concluded. “You’re being rebuilt. Let’s keep going!”
