Madonna and Guy Ritchie 'set to divorce' after 8 years of marriage

[Preeto Maam]

Strained: Madonna and Guy Ritichie appeared awkward as they posed on the red carpet together at the London premiere of his film Rock N Rolla last month

Madonna and Guy Ritchie 'set to divorce' after eight years of marriage

Madonna and Guy Ritchie are to divorce, friends claimed last night.

Following months of speculation, the couple are to end their eight-year long marriage as they can no longer bear to keep up the "pretence" any longer.A statement on their marriage is expected imminently. One of the main triggers for the separation is Madonna's determination to adopt a second child from Africa.Ritchie fiercely opposes this decision as the marriage was placed under severe strain two years ago when they adopted toddler David Banda from Malawi.

It has been suggested that they have had a string of rows in recent months and over the last three weeks it has become so bad that they have only been communicating through their personal assistants.The 50-year-old pop star is thought to have wanted to postpone the separation until the New Year but her husband decided that they should separate immediately.

[Preeto Maam]

Marriage: The couple pictured with their son Rocco in December 2000 following the baby's christening, the night before their wedding at Skibo Castle in Scotland.

Guy Ritchie is expected to move out of their home in Marylebone, London, which Madonna owns, and into Ashcombe House, Wiltshire which is his property.It is not clear where their son, Rocco, seven, Lourdes, 11, and adopted son, David, two will live.The couple would have been due to celebrate their eighth wedding anniversary this Christmas.

A close friend of the couple said last night: "They have both been fighting and the marriage has been on the rocks for weeks."Guy has been the one who has come to the conclusion that enough is enough."They had planned to make it work in the New Year after the end of Madonna's world tour but it quickly became clear that the relationship was not worth saving.

"Guy has been saying that they both have separate lives at the moment. Madonna spends too much time in the gym and she is obsessed with trying to look years younger than her real age.The source added: "Guy feels that Madonna does not focus on him any more. "

[Preeto Maam]

Family ties: Madonna with her daughter Lourdes and adopted son David

Last month Madonna left her husband's 40th birthday party after just one hour and went home with their three children.Her husband meanwhile carried on the celebrations Punch Bowl pub in Mayfair, until the early hours.

In July it was reported that the couple had drawn up a five-point plan as a last-ditch effort to save their marriage.Ritchie flew to New York after reports that he and Madonna had consulted divorce lawyers.

[Preeto Maam]

Rocky relationship: Guy looked miserable at the Cannes Film Festival in May as he escorted his wife on the red carpet

Meanwhile rumours of marriage problems grew after it was suggested she was romantically linked to New York Yankees baseball player Alex Rodriguez - which was at the time was strongly denied by the singer.

As part of the plans they pledged to reduce their work schedules and agreed not to be apart for more than a week at a time.Second, they agreed the children would be educated in Britain, where the family is based.Madonna also pledged to cut her gym work-out time from four to three hours a day while Ritchie will be obliged to attend professional showbusiness events only once every two months.

[Preeto Maam]

Early days: Madonna and Guy at the Evening Standard Film Awards in February 2000 - 10 months before their Scottish wedding

They put on a show of unity as they stepped out in front of the cameras in New York and issued statements through their publicists denying any rumours that they were about to split.Madonna and Guy met in 1999, at a dinnner party hosted by Sting and his wife Trudie Styler.Of their meeting, Madonna said: 'You know when people say "he turned my head?" My head didn't just turn - my head spun around on my body.'

The couple married in Skibo Castle in Scotland in December 2000 - four months after the singer gave birth to their son Rocco.Madonna is also mother to Lourdes, who turned 12 yesterday, from a previous relationship to fitness trainer Carlos Leon.

It was the first marriage for Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels director, but the second for Madonna, who had a famously tempestuous marriage with actor Sean Penn in the Eighties.

[saaju06]

Wooohooo
Thats very good news,
Ritchie should have divorced her long time ago .

[sweetooo.baba]

thanks.............