Taye Diggs Shares What He Did When Son Walker Had A Heartbreak And What He Stopped Doing As A Parent
Taye Diggs got candid about his parenting style.
Diggs sat down for an interview with US Weekly's correspondent Christina Garibaldi. During the chat, she asked the 53-year-old actor how he helped his son, Nathaniel Walker Diggs, 14, deal with his heartbreak. Garibaldi noted that he was probably not dating yet, but she meant "heartbreak in any way, whether that be dating or in school." The "Set It Up" actor then recalled how Walker was devastated after he lost two dogs in six months.
"He had two dogs die in like six months and after the second died he texted me, 'Why does this keep happening to me?'" Diggs shared. "That was one of those moments where I didn't know what to do, to say. So, I was just like 'I'm sorry, I'm here if you want to talk.'"
Diggs said he wanted to do something for his son. However, he also knew that "there was nothing to do." He acknowledged how people, when they are in that situation, would do something wrong by just trying to do something and that was what he avoided.
"I just calmed down and was there for him and it sucked, but I didn't mess it up. I didn't mess it up," he continued.
The "Best Man Holiday" actor said he felt like he was doing nothing. However, for him, the strategy worked.
"It worked, just me connecting and giving him a space to mourn," the actor said.
Diggs also shared a particular realization that prompted him to stop doing something he previously did. He admitted that before, he would want Walker to "see the other side of things." However, he realized that "that's not what you want a lot of times."
"A lot of times, you just feel a certain way. You just want to feel that way. So, I've stopped doing that," he added.
Diggs revealed another lesson he learned from his sister, Christian Diggs, who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia, which affected his parenting. He previously admitted he had misconceptions about the mental disorder based on what he saw in the movies. He thought Christian would have a hard time with her condition, but she was doing fine.
"I learned from Christian's situation for me to not feel the need to like parent, you know what I mean, cause I was brought up hearing, you know, hundreds of speeches from my dad and my mom, you know, 'I told you not to do this' when I was young," Diggs shared.
"It didn't work then. So, now when I find myself wanting to have, you know, a teaching moment with Walker, I do the opposite and ask him how he feels and it's been great because he doesn't get a chance to make me feel stupid by ignoring me or making fun of me and it also lets me know how he's doing."
Diggs shares his teenage son with his ex-wife, Idina Menzel. They were married for 10 years, from 2003 to 2013, before they called it quits. In a recent interview, she said race was among the reasons behind their separation. However, the exes have remained good friends after they parted ways, and they co-parent Walker.
