The splitsville rumors are now official because the Madonna and Guy Ritchie marriage is ending in divorce. The couple initially denied that they were getting divorced when news surfaced that Madonna was having an affair with New York Yankee Alex "Arod" Rodriguez. Cynthia Rodriguez blames Madonna for breaking up her marriage. Arod's divorce settlement is now final. There was speculation that Madonna was waiting until her Sticky & Sweet tour ended to announce the divorce.
Madonna and filmmaker Guy Ritchie will end their marriage after nearly eight years, the couple said in a joint statement Wednesday.
The couple asked the media to "maintain respect for their family at this difficult time," said the statement, e-mailed to The Associated Press by Liz Rosenberg, Madonna's publicist.
A financial settlement has not been agreed by the wealthy couple, who must also decide child custody issues.
In London, Ritchie's mother, Lady Amber Leighton, told reporters that the family wouldn't be making any statement.
Madonna and Ritchie, director of "Snatch" and "Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels," married in December 2000 at a Scottish castle. The couple have two children: Rocco, 8, and David Banda, 3, who was adopted from Malawi in 2006. Madonna also has a 12-year-old daughter, Lourdes, from her relationship with personal trainer Carlos Leon.
The couple are reportedly worth some $525 million, the bulk of that belonging to Madonna. Ritchie has an estimated $35 million fortune. They own homes in London, Los Angeles and New York, and a 1,200-acre retreat in Wiltshire, England.
Madonna is to perform concerts Wednesday and Thursday in Boston as her "Sticky and Sweet" tour continues. Ritchie's latest movie, "RocknRolla," recently opened to mixed reviews.
Lawyers said the couple would likely try to come to an agreement before heading to court.
"The judgment of the court would be to try and assess what they came in with and divide what they built up fairly equally," said David Allison, a lawyer with Family Law in Partnership, a London firm.
Ritchie's career has faltered during the marriage, while Madonna's songs, videos and concerts remain popular worldwide. source
A statement confirming their marriage is over has been prepared and is set to be released imminently.
The couple are going public with their split because they “can’t bear to live with the pretence any longer”.
They have had a string of shouting matches about the amount of time each devotes to their careers, and over Madonna’s desire to adopt another child.
These arguments smashed through their attempts at reconciliation “like a sledgehammer”.
A highly-placed source told The Sun: “It’s very sad. They were a great couple and brilliant parents. They just couldn’t live together any more.”
Pals say Madge, 50, initially wanted to wait until next year to announce their separation — after her Sticky and Sweet global tour is finished.
But now she and Brit movie director Guy, 40, want a divorce finalised before Christmas — which would have seen the eighth anniversary of their fairytale wedding in a Scottish castle. source
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