Taye Diggs Reflects on Being a Dad to His and Ex-Wife Idina Menzel's Teenage Son (Exclusive)

Taye Diggs has reached a crossroads as a father, one that requires him to hit the gym a little harder.

The 53-year-old actor spoke to ET on Wednesday at City Harvest's 2024 Gala at Cipriani in New York City, where he gushed over his 14-year-old son, Walker Nathaniel, whom he shares with ex-wife Idina Menzel. Diggs, who served as emcee for the affair, couldn't help but sing his son's praises when asked how fatherhood's treating him.

"He's a fierce athlete and he's beaten up on me a lot," Diggs quipped. "So I gotta stay in shape just to keep up with him."

In more ways than one, it seems. Walker's a young man of many talents, according to his proud father.

"He can act. He can sing. He can dance," Diggs said. "He's teaching me how to be a better adult."

Blessed with so many talents, one wonders which occupation young Walker just might choose: athlete or entertainer?

"Athletes are entertainers, so probably both," Diggs said.

Diggs and Walker have a special bond. In 2019, the actor opened up about a romance at the time and how he was nervous about introducing her to his then-10-year-old son.

"I started seeing somebody and it was pretty stressful, but I introduced her to him, and they get along really well," he said during an appearance on The Talk. "We just went out and decorated the whole house for Halloween, so that was cool."

Diggs and Menzel first met in 1995 during the Broadway production of Rent, in which they co-starred. They sparked a romance shortly after, and wound up tying the knot in 2003. The couple welcomed Walker in September 2009. Diggs and Menzel split in 2013.

Back in October, Menzel revealed on the Dinner's on Me podcast that the "interracial aspect" of the relationship ultimately played a role in the marriage coming to an end.

"He's on the cover of Essence and Ebony and being interviewed by all these Black journalists and I think he had his own stuff to deal with that," Menzel said at the time. "It seemed like there was disappointment in the community with him because he was married to [a] white, Jewish girl from some show we don’t even remember."

The couple's divorce was finalized in 2015. ET spoke with Diggs that year, and he got candid about their friendly co-parenting efforts.

"As people can imagine, it gets rough at times just because we're not in the same city, but we still love each other and what's most important is we love our son," Diggs said at the time. "That stabilizes us. I'm thankful for him."

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