Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman Split After 10 Years

The couple explained their decision through their publicist, who said, "Citing the difficulties inherent in divergent careers which constantly keep them apart, they concluded that an amicable separation seems best." That statement further noted that the two highly regarded actors retain the utmost respect for one another, "both personally and professionally."

The couple, who may be the most successful husband and wife acting team to date, met in 1990 while working on the film "Days of Thunder," where Tom Cruise, 38, admits that his first reaction to meeting Kidman was "sheer lust." The two became enraptured with one another almost immediately and were married in Colorado later that year.

The couple had the honor of working with Stanley Kubrick on his final film, "Eyes Wide Shut," a project that required 15 months to complete.

The announcement came as a surprise to many, as the couple has repeatedly denied reports of marital problems over the past years, including several successful court cases against various publications and a bizarre wire-tapping case. That case ended with a reporter admitting to listening in on a conversation between the two during which Kidman reportedly told Cruise that their marriage was "hanging by a thread."