Witherspoon marriage split

REESE Witherspoon, Hollywood's highest-paid actress, has split from her husband of seven years, Ryan Phillippe.

In a statement released last night, the couple revealed they had formally separated. Nanci Ryder, their Los Angeles-based publicist, said: "They remain committed to their family."

In March, Witherspoon won the best actress Academy Award for her role as June Carter Cash in the film Walk the Line.

Witherspoon, who claims to be a descendant of John Knox, met actor Philippe at her 21st-birthday party and married him three years later in 1999. In the same year, the couple co-starred in Cruel Intentions. They have two children, Eva, seven, and Deacon, three.

Witherspoon previously admitted attending marriage counselling. In a recent interview, she said: "I'm not interested in the fallacy of the Hollywood relationship - 'We have perfect children who never cry; we never have problems; we never argue'."

Phillippe appears in Clint Eastwood's latest film, the Second World War drama Flags of Our Fathers.