Jennifer Lopez and husband announce split after seven years

AMERICAN Idol judge Jennifer Lopez and her third husband Marc Anthony have announced they are to divorce after seven years of marriage.

The Hollywood couple, who are parents to three-year-old twins, said in a joint statement that they had made the "very difficult" decision to separate.

Speculation that they were about to split mounted after singer, actress and presenter Lopez, also known as J.Lo, attended the Bafta event with her mother instead of her husband. They have not been seen together since June.

The pair, who married in 2004 in a secret ceremony at Lopez's Beverly Hills home, said: "We have decided to end our marriage. This was a very difficult decision. We have come to an amicable conclusion on all matters. It is a painful time for all involved and we appreciate the respect of our privacy at this time."

The announcement came as a surprise to friends who witnessed the couple renew their vows during their sixth wedding anniversary last year. For their very private wedding, guests had been invited to an "afternoon party" at Lopez's house and had not been made aware that they were actually going to her wedding.

It was J.Lo's third marriage. She was married to waiter Ojani Noa for 11 months in 1997, before backing dancer Chris Judd became her second husband in September 2001. She was also engaged to Ben Affleck in 2003 but they split just hours before the wedding. Anthony was previously married to former Miss Universe Dayanara Torres.

The American Idol judge and her husband are the parents of three-year-old toddlers Max and Emme. It is believed that they want to split amicably for the sake of their children.

Lopez and Anthony, both 42, were previously said to have been a close couple. The pair, both of whom have Puerto Rican heritage, married after being friends for years. They did a joint tour together and starred in the movie El Cantante in 2006.

In April they announced plans for a television show together, Q'Viva! The Chosen, with Simon Fuller, the creator of American Idol. The show was to feature the couple as they travelled the world to find the best performers in Latin music, dance and other arts, with the goal of creating a live extravaganza.

J.Lo released several albums, including her debut, On the 6, in 1999 and the self-titled J.Lo. She starred in films including Selena, Out Of Sight, The Wedding Planner and Monster-In-Law.