Madonna has split from her film director husband, Guy Ritchie, triggering what could be the biggest ever divorce payout by a female celebrity.
The singer released a statement announcing that the marriage is over.

No settlement has been reached, indicating that a courtroom battle over the Material Girl's £300 million fortune may be on the cards. Ritchie, the director of British gangster films including Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, is worth a fraction of that, with generous estimates putting his wealth at £20 million.

The short statement read: "Madonna and Guy Ritchie have agreed to divorce after seven-and-a-half years of marriage. They have both requested that the media maintain respect for their family at this difficult time."

Madonna is reported to have engaged Fiona Shackleton, the renowned divorce lawyer who handled Sir Paul McCartney's legal battle with Heather Mills and ensured that the ex-Beatle held on to his millions.

Rumours about the state of the marriage have been swirling for several months, with the couple leading increasingly separate lives. The 50-year-old singer is currently performing on the US leg of her Sticky and Sweet tour, and was pictured in New York on Wednesday looking tired and gaunt. Ritchie has remained in London to work on his latest project, a Sherlock Holmes remake.

Their last joint public appearance was at the premiere of Ritchie's film RocknRolla last month and a source close to the pair said they could not bear "to live with the pretence any longer".

The couple wed in December 2000 at Skibo Castle in the Scottish Highlands. They have an eight-year-old son, Rocco, and a two-year-old boy, David, adopted from Malawi. Madonna also has a 12-year-old daughter, Lourdes, from a previous relationship.

As recently as August, the singer insisted: "My husband and I are not planning on getting a divorce," and was forced to deny reports of a relationship with US basketball star Alex Rodriguez.

Friends say that Madonna's desire to adopt another child has been a source of friction in the marriage, as has her desire to spend more time in the US. Madonna settled in England after marrying Ritchie and made a concerted effort to adapt to life on this side of the Atlantic, buying a London home and hosting shooting parties at her 1,200-acre Wiltshire estate.

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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/3203792/Madonna-and-Guy-Ritchie-to-divorce.html