According to a joint statement to E! News, Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux are officially separating. The pair married in August of 2015.
In their official statement to E! News, the couple expressed a desire to get ahead of any potential rumours about the end of their relationship. They stressed a desire to maintain their friendship.
"In an effort to reduce any further speculation, we have decided to announce our separation. This decision was mutual and lovingly made at the end of last year," said the E! News statement. "We are two best friends who have decided to part ways as a couple, but look forward to continuing our cherished friendship."
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Theroux and Aniston added:
"Normally we would do this privately, but given that the gossip industry cannot resist an opportunity to speculate and invent, we wanted to convey the truth directly. 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."
The news is a bit of a surprise, considering that the Leftovers actor and Friends alum were interviewed for a story in Architectural Digest together, which was published earlier this February. Still, as Theroux and Aniston point out in their statement, speculation about the state of their relationship — for better or worse — can really do no one any good.
In 2017, Theroux shared that he was happy to be married to Aniston, whom he called his "ally," in an interview with Rhapsody Magazine for United Airlines.
"Marriage makes the small things much smaller and the big things small," he told the magazine. "You have an ally. It's good to have someone have your back."
Hopefully, this allyship will continue as the pair move into a new state of relationship.
We have reached out to reps for Theroux and Aniston and will update this post should we hear back.
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