“After much thought and careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to divorce,” the couple told People magazine in a joint statement.
“We go forward with love and friendship for one another and a commitment to co-parenting our children whose privacy we ask to be respected during this difficult time. This will be our only comment on this private, family matter. Thank you for understanding.”
Reports emerged from multiple media outlets, including OK! USA, InTouch, The National Enquirer and Radar Online back in May that the Hollywood power couple were heading for a $USD150 million divorce.
Questions were raised when these removal trucks were spotted outside their Californian home.
Sources close to the couple predicted an announcement would come in June.
“Ben and Jen are through,” an insider told Radar Online.
“He’s told Jen that he wants the official statement to come out before their ten-year wedding anniversary on June 29 – which he hopes will give enough time for the news to die down by the time he has to promote Batman v Superman and the other movies he has coming out next year.”
Back in May Jennifer, who is is incredibly private about her relationship, candidly spoke up about it to Yahoo!Parenting about her marriage to the actor.
“You just go on a ride together because you don’t know who you’re going to be when you first have a baby and you don’t know who [your partner] is going to be,” she said candidly.
“You have to just hang in there while you figure it out — and have a lot of patience for each other.”
Jen and Ben spotted last December, in happier times.
Dubbed Bennifer II after Ben’s failed relationship to Jennifer Lopez, Jennifer, 43 and Ben, 42, met on the set of their 2001 film, Pearl Harbour before sparks flew when they co-starred in the 2003 superhero flick Daredevil.
Ben popped the question on Jen’s 33rd birthday in April 2005 and two months later they tied the knot on June 29, 2005 and are parents to three kids: Violet, 9, Seraphina, 6, and Samuel, 3.
The couple have faced the scrutiny of the Hollywood spotlight and over the years have admitted that it has been a bumpy road.
Jennifer revealed back in 2014 to InStyle that things between her and her long-time-beau had changed significantly, noting that they
were no longer in “courtship” phase of the relationship.
“You can’t expect to be courted all the time, and I don’t want to court him right now – I don’t have the energy!
“But we’re definitely in a very mindful place where we’re making an effort to be together, do things at the same time, and be loving.”
Jennifer and Ben in the good times.
While for Ben, Jennifer has always been a stabilising influence in his life, especially after his highly-publicised split from pop star, JLo back in 2004.
“My wife was definitely around then,” Ben gushed to Playboy in 2013.
“Getting to know her, falling in love with her and being connected with her gave me a foundation to reach out and say, ‘Okay, I’m going to do Hollywoodland. I’m going to direct Gone Baby Gone.’ Those were the steps forward I needed to put positive stuff on the board.”
Jennifer was just as complimentary admitting later that year, “We both know we couldn’t do what we do without each other. He has been amazing at finding ways of telling me how much he appreciates what I do. Honestly, I would do anything for that man, because I know it’s not to be taken for granted.”
Jen and Ben with their two girls, Violet and Seraphina.
The family will remain united in this hardship, for the sake of their family.
