Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux have announced they are separating, the couple announced in a joint statement to the Associated Press.

The statement, released through her publicist on Thursday (February 15), asserts that the split "was mutual and lovingly made at the end of last year." They've decided to make their decision public "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,” the statement continued. “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.”

If your heart can't handle this news, rest assured knowing the former couple maintains they are "two best friends who have decided to part ways as a couple, but look forward to continuing our cherished friendship."

Aniston and Theroux first met in 2007 on the set of the film Tropic Thunder, which Theroux co-wrote with Aniston's close friend Ben Stiller. They were reunited on the set of Wanderlust in 2010, and started dating almost one year later. The pair got married in a surprise ceremony in their own backyard on August 5, 2015, after getting engaged in August 2012.