Jennifer Aniston, Justin Theroux announce separation

Washington D.C. [USA]: Hollywood couple Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux have announced their separation in a joint statement. "In an effort to reduce any further speculation, we have decided to announce our separation. This decision was mutual and lovingly made at the end of last year. We are two best friends who have decided to part ways as a couple, but look forward to continuing our cherished friendship," the couple said in a joint statement to E! Online. "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. 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," the statement added. The couple had been spending time apart recently; while Aniston stayed based in LA, Theroux spent more time in New York City after filming ‘The Spy Who Dumped Me’ in Budapest last summer. Aniston turned 49 on Sunday, February 11, and Theroux was noticeably absent from the Malibu celebration. A source close to the couple recently told People the two didn't mind their frequent separations. “Justin often spends a few days in NYC by himself,” the source said. Aniston and Theroux began dating in May of 2011 and became engaged in August 2012. They married three years later, on August 5, 2015, at their home in Bel-Air.