Nicholas Sparks, known for his wildly popular romance novels, announced on Tuesday (Jan. 6) that he and his wife Cathy have decided to separate. The two have been married for 25 years and have five kids together.
"Cathy and I have separated," Sparks told E! in a statement. "This is, of course, not a decision we've made lightly. We remain close friends with deep respect for each other and love for our children. For our children's sake, we regard this as a private matter."
Even though the 49-year-old author has penned novels about love and relationships, ironically Sparks told People magazine in a 2003 interview that he doesn't like to dole out advice on marriage.
"There are people who are probably much better at marriage than I am - they've lasted a lot longer. I could probably learn from them," he said.
However, he did admit that his wife was often the inspiration behind his novels.
"The women in my stories tend to be like my wife - strong, confident, intelligent and putting family first," Sparks told the magazine.
While it's definitely sad that Sparks and his wife won't have a storybook ending, the couple did share a few touching moments that would be perfect for any romance novel. According to E! Online, he told Southern Living in 2012 that following the success of "The Notebook," he bought Cathy a new wedding ring.
"When we got married I couldn't afford a nice wedding ring. After I sold 'The Notebook' the only thing I really wanted to buy was a new ring for my wife. So I did. And then I got down on my knee and said, 'I don't know where life is going to take us from here, but there's no one I'd rather take the journey with than you.'"
Some of Sparks' most popular novels include "The Best of Me," "The Choice," "Safe Haven" and "Dear John." His novel "The Longest Ride" was adapted into a movie and is expected to be released on April 10.