Comedian Russell Peters promotes his "Notorious" World tour in Toronto on Wednesday June 13, 2012. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young
June 13, 2012 - 3:12 PM
TORONTO - Canadian comedy giant Russell Peters says he and Monica Diaz are on amicable terms as they go through a divorce.
The Brampton, Ont.-raised standup star recently revealed he and Diaz, who have an 18-month-old daughter, are splitting after nearly two years of marriage.
"It was actually a decent breakup. There were no hard feelings," Peters, 41, said Wednesday in an interview to promote his Notorious World Tour, which hits Toronto's Air Canada Centre on Saturday.
"We just realized we rushed in and didn't know each other and when we got to know each other we were kind of like, 'Hmm, I don't think this is going to work out for the rest of our lives.' And I didn't want to wait until my daughter was older and got used to seeing us together and really mess with her head," continued Peters, whose ethnically charged brand of humour has sold out arenas around the world.
"I said, 'We should probably do it now before the baby understands anything, and then all the baby knows is mommy and daddy apart, but she knows that when mommy and daddy see each other, there's no animosity and that, 'Daddy loves you and mommy loves you and that's the bottom line.'"
Peters, who was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame last year, married Diaz in August 2010. Their daughter, Crystianna, was born in December 2010 in Los Angeles, where Peters has a home.
Peters says fatherhood and his divorce are among the topics he touches on in his new standup act, which in March became the fastest-selling concert in Dubai history, with tickets for two shows sold out in eight minutes.
The tour hits Calgary on June 19th; Edmonton on June 21; Vancouver on June 23; and Winnipeg on June 27. The second leg of the Canadian tour will take place in September and October.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2012