There had been rumors before that the relationship between the two was said to be in trouble. Now Reese Witherspoon (47) and her second husband Jim Toth (52) share in a joint statement that they are going their separate ways after almost twelve years of marriage.

The Hollywood actress and her partner, after careful consideration, "made the difficult decision to divorce," they write on Instagram. The couple have spent "so many wonderful years" and, despite the separation, are now going into the future "with deep love, kindness and mutual respect for everything we have created together".

"They really are best friends," an anonymous insider is said to have told US magazine "People". It is therefore clearly a "consensual decision". The two wanted to make the split as smooth as possible for everyone in the family and are committed to continuing to raise their son together.

Witherspoon and Toth also seem to agree. As the statement goes on to say, their son and the entire family would have top priority on their further path. Witherspoon and Toth were first reported to be in a relationship in early 2010. They got engaged in December of the same year and married just a few months later. Their son Tennessee (10) was born in 2012. Prior to her marriage to Toth, Witherspoon was also married to fellow actor Ryan Phillippe, 48, with whom she has daughter Ava, 23, and son Deacon, 19.