Nicholas Sparks, Wife Cathy Separate; ‘The Longest Ride’ Author Releases Statement On Split

The king of romance novels is officially closing a chapter on his own love life. According to reports, Nicholas Sparks and his wife of 25 years, Cathy, have officially split.

"Cathy and I have separated," the writer, who brought us iconic love stories like “The Notebook” and “A Walk to Remember,” revealed to E! News 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.” The couple has five children together, three boys and twin girls, who range from the ages of 12 to 23. “For our children's sake, we regard this as a private matter,” he added.

Nicholas and Cathy were married in 1989 after the duo met on vacation in college. “I met my wife on a Monday night on spring break in Florida,” Nicholas explained his own personal love story during an interview with eHarmony. “On Tuesday night, I told her that we would get married. Of course, my wife laughed at me at the time.”

However, Nicholas was persistent. After a few hundred letters, graduating Notre Dame business school and an October proposal, the two were married the following July. Talk about picture perfect! But despite the romantic tale, Nicholas told People Magazine in 2003 that he doesn’t like when his marriage is put on a pedestal. "I don't like to give marriage tips. 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.

The writer has attributed his successful career and heart-warming storylines like “The Last Song” and “The Lucky One” to his wife, who has inspired many of his beloved characters. “You know, all of the female characters I create have many elements of my wife,” Nicholas confirmed during his eHarmony interview.

Currently, Nicholas is working on a new, tear-jerking journey with his best-seller “The Longest Ride.” A movie based off of the popular book is set to hit theaters on Apr. 10. The flick stars Alan Alda, Melissa Benoist, Oona Chaplin, Scott Eastwood, Jack Huston and Britt Robertson.