PA
The supermodel and media personality Heidi Klum and the singer Seal have filed for divorce after seven years of marriage. Theirs appeared to be one of the happier celebrity marriages with the couple presenting a public picture of domestic bliss with their four children.
A statement from the pair reads: "While we have enjoyed seven very loving, loyal and happy years of marriage, after much soul-searching we have decided to separate.
"We have had the deepest respect for one another throughout our relationship and continue to love each other very much, but we have grown apart. This is an amicable process and protecting the well-being of our children remains our top priority, especially during this time of transition.
"We thank our family, friends, and fans for their kind words of support. And for our children's sake, we appreciate you respecting our privacy."
The news has certainly shocked fans of the couple who are known for their displays of affection at red carpet events and annual and lavish renewal of their wedding vows on their wedding anniversaries.
The couple are believed to have submitted divorce papers in the Los Angeles County Superior Court.
The German supermodel and her husband were last seen together on December 27. At the time, Klum tweeted a picture of them both smiling at the camera in front of a backdrop of the Aspen mountains in Colorado.
Seal, 48, and Klum met in 2004 when Klum was pregnant with her daughter Leni, now seven, from her relationship with the Italian businessman and Formula One entrepreneur Flavio Briatore. Seal was at her side when she gave birth to Leni and later adopted her. The couple married in 2005 on the beach in Mexico.
They have since had three children together, Henry, six, Johan, five, and Lou, two.
PA At a basketball match with children Henry, Johan and Leni
In 2010, Seal said of their tradition for renewing their wedding vows: "Each year, Heidi and I get remarried. It's a great party, but for about an hour, we go off on our own down to a private beach. We sit there with the kids and read vows to each other as the sun sets. It's a very special moment to us."
Dividing their assets may prove to be a lengthy and complicated process. According to Forbes, Klum earned £13 million last year, while it's unclear how much Seal made.
Seal was spotted arriving at LAX airport in Los Angeles yesterday, after promoting his new album in London. On Friday Seal sent a mysterious tweet saying simply 'The End' while his wife attended the Golden Globes award ceremony alone last week.