Madonna & Guy Ritchie confirm they will divorce

Just months after the last set of rumours surged and faded away, Madonna and Guy Ritchie have confirmed they’re planning to divorce.

Earlier this year, the couple were rumoured to be planning to separate - with reports of talks with lawyers and rumours of flings - but they denied the story and made repeated shows of unity, attending events together and hand-in-hand.

However, now a spokesperson for the star has confirmed they’re beginning divorce proceedings.

In a short statement released earlier today, Madonna’s spokesperson Liz Rosenberg said: “Madonna and Guy Ritchie have agreed to divorce after seven-and-a-half years of marriage.

“They have both requested that the media maintain respect for their family at this difficult time.

“A final settlement has not been agreed upon yet.”

Reports of an imminent announcement broke this morning when a source close to the family told the Sun that the couple “can’t bear to live with the pretence any longer”: “It’s very sad. They were a great couple and brilliant parents. They just couldn’t live together any more.

“Despite huge attempts to patch things up they both knew deep down that divorce was on the cards. It wasn’t a matter of ‘if’ but ‘when’. They tried hard over the last few months but their fighting was getting out of control.

“The final straw came before Madonna started her US tour. Madonna wanted a highly stage-managed separation, with their split being announced when it was convenient for her. She didn’t want the distraction while she is trying to concentrate on her tour.

“But a series of rows around Guy’s 40th birthday last month were so bad that Madonna ended up storming out of the house and Guy’s had enough. Guy said if they were going to split, it has to be now - and their marriage will finally be over in a matter of weeks.

“Madonna was dithering at first about whether a separation would be best or whether to go ahead with the divorce. She has now agreed with Guy that a divorce is the best thing to do.”

Madonna has been in New York this week for the premiere of her new film Filth and Wisdom and Guy is said to have flown back to the UK from France, where he is filming Sherlock Holmes, to tell his family the news and remove his personal possessions out of the couple’s home in London.

The source added that Madonna is likely to move back to the US permanently, after spending the summer in New York rehearsing for her tour: “When Madonna first moved to the UK, she loved the idea of becoming an English rose. But slowly it turned sour. She decided she hated hunting and quickly dropped her ‘hobby’ of going for a pint of bitter with Guy in the local pub.

“She doesn’t have many friends here and as she has turned 50 she has become very philosophical and started wondering what it’s all about.

“Guy wants Madonna to stop uprooting [their three children: Lourdes, Rocco and David] and let them stay in one place. It doesn’t help that Lourdes has decided she wants to spend more time with her real father, Carlos Leon, in New York.

“Guy is very keen for Lourdes to have a good relationship with him, but it means Madonna can use that as an excuse to spend more time in America.”

The couple originally married in Scotland in December 2000.