Top > Entertainment > 2006 > November > 2006-11-07

Witherspoon and Phillippe Announce Separation

After many speculations and reports, it is now official ? Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe ended their seven year long marriage, as announced by their representatives last week. The two were suffering from marital problems for some time, and decided to break the pack officially. Witherspoon and Phillippe have two children from this marriage, a seven-year-old daughter and a three-year-old boy. "We are saddened to announce that Reese and Ryan have decided to formally separate. They remain committed to their family and we ask that you please respect their privacy and the safety of their children at this time," said the representatives in their statement.

The couple met on Witherspoon`s, now 30 years old, 21st birthday party. They worked together on the set of the 1999`s film, "Cruel Intentions", and got married that year. Although the details about the beginning of their relationship are known, there were no additional details regarding the recent split. Going though celebrity sites you could find speculations and rumors, and one site, TMZ, is reporting that Witherspoon already contacted the divorce lawyer that handled Jennifer Aniston, Roseanne Barr and Lisa Marie Presley`s cases. The site reports that there was no single event that triggered the separation, but rather continuing matters.

Witherspoon won her first Oscar award earlier this year. She was awarded Best Supporting Actress for her role as Johnny Cash`s sweetheart in "Walk the Line". More detail about the Oscar winner`s martial condition will be given as things develop and more information is disclosed.