Madonna, Guy Ritchie To Divorce

10/15/08 10:34am

by Kate Harper (CHARTattack)

It's official: Madonna and filmmaker Guy Ritchie are divorcing after seven-and-a-half years of marriage.

Madonna's spokesperson Liz Rosenberg emailed The Associated Press earlier today to confirm rumours about the couple's marital status. The statement, which has also been signed by a representative for Ritchie, says the couple haven't yet agreed to any kind of settlement and asks the media to respect their privacy.

Early on Wednesday, a "highly-placed source" apparently told the U.K.'s The Sun Newspaper that the two would divorce, saying that they "just couldn't live together anymore" and could "no longer bear to live with the pretence" that they were happy.

Earlier this year, rumours began swirling about a possible affair between Madge and New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez. Madonna denied the reports, but Rodriguez's wife, Cynthia Rodriguez, filed for divorce and cited infidelity and "emotional abandonment." Rumours later emerged that Madge had hired Fiona Shackleton, the lawyer who represented Paul McCartney during his divorce from Heather Mills.

Madonna and Ritchie have a son, Rocco, and adopted Malawian David Banda in 2006. Madonna also has a 12-year-old daughter, Lourdes, from a previous relationship with fitness trainer Carlos Leon.