In a heartbreaking joint statement, Jennifer Aniston and her husband of two years, Justin Theroux, have announced that they have been separated from late last year. The couple wed in 2015 after being engaged for three years.
In the statement, they said they had wanted to keep the decision private, but “given that the gossip industry cannot resist an opportunity to speculate and invent, we wanted to convey the truth directly.”
“This decision was mutual and lovingly made at the end of last year,” the statement read. “We are two best friends who have decided to part ways as a couple, but look forward to continuing our cherished friendship.”
They added, “Whatever else is printed about us that is not directly from us, is someone else’s fictional narrative. Above all, we are determined to maintain the deep respect and love that we have for one another.”
A source also told PEOPLE that the two have consistently “did their own thing” in the relationship, “It has involved long separations, especially for their work demands.”
The couple met on the set of the Wanderlust film in 2011, and while this was Theroux’s first marriage, it was Aniston’s second as she was previously married to Brad Pitt for five years.
