Fergie and Josh Duhamel separate after eight years

Fergie and Josh Duhamel have separated after eight years of marriage and 13 years together.

The duo, who have four-year-old son Axl together, released a joint statement on Thursday revealing they split several months ago.

‘With absolute love and respect we decided to separate as a couple earlier this year,’ they announced to People.

It's over: Fergie and Josh Duhamel have separated after eight years of marriage. They are pictured out separately on Wednesday

It’s over: Fergie and Josh Duhamel have separated after eight years of marriage. They are pictured out separately on Wednesday

The statement continues: ‘To give our family the best opportunity to adjust, we wanted to keep this a private matter before sharing it with the public.

‘We are and will always be united in our support of each other and our family.’

Fergie, 42, was pictured out in Brazil on Wednesday as she promotes her new album while Duhamel, 44, was photographed back in Los Angeles taking care of their son. 

Duhamel was spotted still wearing his wedding ring, however the Glamorous hitmaker went without hers. 

The couple haven’t been pictured out together in quite some time but celebrated their eighth wedding anniversary in January.

Duhamel shared a family snap to Instagram with the caption: ‘8 years!! Love you babe.’ while Fergie (born Stacy Ann Ferguson) shared one of the two of them on a boat writing ‘happy 8th anniversary to my bae’

The duo released a joint statement on Thursday saying 'We are and will always be united in our support of each other and our family'. They are pictured in August 2016

The duo released a joint statement on Thursday saying ‘We are and will always be united in our support of each other and our family’. They are pictured in August 2016

In May the Safe Haven actor spoke to Haute Living about how much he and Fergie ‘genuinely liked each other’.

‘[We] have a lot of love for our son and have a good time together,’ he added. ‘And that’s about it.’

He also opened up about parenting their boy during an interview withEllen DeGeneres back in June, saying that Fergie has more patience than him.

The couple celebrated their eighth wedding anniversary in January and Duhamel shared this family snap with the caption '8 years!! Love you babe.'

The couple celebrated their eighth wedding anniversary in January and Duhamel shared this family snap with the caption ‘8 years!! Love you babe.’

‘She is definitely more evolved than I am, and more patient,’ he said of his wife.

‘Having a kid at 40 years old is much different than having one at 22, you know, so I’m a little more mature than I was then.’  

The duo began dating in 2004 after meeting when Fergie’s band made a cameo in Duhamel’s show Las Vegas and became engaged in December 2007.

They married in a catholic ceremony in January 2009. 

'With absolute love and respect we decided to separate as a couple earlier this year,' The stars are parents to four-year-old son Axl. Seen here at a baseball game in August 2016

‘With absolute love and respect we decided to separate as a couple earlier this year,’ The stars are parents to four-year-old son Axl. Seen here at a baseball game in August 2016

Love story: The duo married in a catholic ceremony in January 2009 and featured on the front of Us Weekly. They welcomed Axl in 2013 (right)

Love story: The duo married in a catholic ceremony in January 2009 and featured on the front of Us Weekly. They welcomed Axl in 2013 (right)

Love story: The duo married in a catholic ceremony in January 2009 and featured on the front of Us Weekly. They welcomed Axl in 2013 (right)

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