Daniel Johns and Natalie Imbruglia are to seperate
by Cameron Adams
January 04, 2008 07:09pm
THE music has ended for the first couple of Australian music - Daniel Johns and Natalie Imbruglia have announced that they are to separate after four years of marriage.
The pair announced the end of their marriage in a joint statement released on Friday evening.
"While we are very sad that our marriage has ended we want to make it clear that our parting is amicable and we remain friends , " the statement read.
"This mutual decision has not been taken lightly or quickly. However, our career demands and our lives in different parts of the world have brought us to the point where unfortunately this difficult decision was necessary for both of us. We have simply grown apart through not being able to spend enough time together."
"We have issued this statement to set the record straight and to eliminate any need for speculation. We will not be making any further public statements whatsoever in regard to this very private matter and we ask that people please respect our sincere wishes in this regard."
The split comes soon after their fourth anniversary - the couple married in Port Douglas on New Year's Eve 2003.
Industry speculation has been rife about their unconventional marriage for years, with Imbruglia based in London and Johns in Newcastle.
However Imbruglia was wearing her wedding ring as recently as Boxing Day, when she opened the David Jones' sale in Sydney.
Imbruglia returned to London on Wednesday, while Johns remains in Sydney.
The whispers regarding their relationship grew after Johns neglected to thank his wife when collecting Silverchair's five awards at the ARIA Awards in October.
Despite being in Adelaide to film a movie, Imbruglia was a surprise no-show at the awards, citing work commitments.
However the couple have been spotted around Australia over the last few months.
Imbruglia flew to Melbourne for the first night of the Silverchair/Powderfinger concert at Rod Laver Arena in September and sources say the couple looked incredibly loved up. The pair were spotted in Adelaide in early November with one on-looker noting "he had his arm around her and gave her a kiss on the head. They looked very much in love."
Johns, 28, and Imbruglia, 32, met in Sydney in 1999 at an after-party at the ARIA awards. They announced their engagement in 2002.
Their relationship has been punctuated by long periods apart, with Imbruglia still earning most of her income in the UK and Europe where her record label is based and Johns settled in Newcastle.
Imbruglia wrote her 2005 hit Counting Down the Days about their long-distance relationship.
"Well, it's worked so far" Imbruglia told the Herald Sun at the time.
"If it stops working and it gets too difficult I have no qualms in taking time off or quitting my job for a while. No qualms at all. I'd never let the distance or work get in the way of my marriage."
This year Silverchair's Young Modern album has seen the band embark on lengthy touring of Australia, the UK and US.
Imbruglia was a frequent visitor on the Silverchair tour.
"We've got a one-month rule going where every month we have to see each other for at least a week," Imbruglia said earlier this year.
Their relationship crossed over into the studio when Johns co-wrote and produced several tracks for Imbruglia's Counting Down the Days album and new songs on recent compilation Glorious.
Imbruglia, who was rumoured to have auditioned to host the Australian version of So You Think You Can Dance in an effort to be closer to Johns, is linked to the new Hugh Jackman movie Wolverine.
British papers have also talked about a romantic link to Little Britain star David Walliams, whom Imbruglia insisted is just a friend.
Silverchair will perform at the Big Day Out this month.
from here, australia herald sun 
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