Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux announce split

Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux are separating after two and a half years of marriage.

The couple said on Thursday in a statement to The Associated Press released through a publicist that the decision to split “was mutual and lovingly made at the end of last year.”

The couple said they are making the announcement publicly “in an effort to reduce any further speculation.”

“Normally we would do this privately, but given that the gossip industry cannot resist an opportunity to speculate and invent, we wanted to convey the truth directly,” they said in the statement released by Aniston’s longtime publicist, Stephen Huvane. “Whatever else is printed about us that is not directly from us, is someone else’s fictional narrative. Above all, we are determined to maintain the deep respect and love that we have for one another.”

Aniston and Theroux were engaged in August of 2012 and married in August of 2015. They have no children.

The two worked together on 2012’s Wanderlust, in which she starred.

They said they are “two best friends who have decided to part ways as a couple, but look forward to continuing our cherished friendship.”

Theroux, 46, had a small role in Star Wars: The Last Jedi and has several films slated for release this year, including Netflix’s Mute out this month. His writing credits include Tropic Thunder, Iron Man 2 and Zoolander 2.

Theroux said in an interview earlier this week that he and Aniston were not together on her 11 February, and he would not be spending Valentine’s Day with her.