fergiejoshImage: Getty

Fergie and Josh Duhamel have announced their separation after eight years of marriage.

In a joint statement released Friday, the couple said:

“With absolute love and respect we decided to separate as a couple earlier this year.

“To give our family the best opportunity to adjust, we wanted to keep this a private matter before sharing it with the public.

“We are and will always be united in our support of each other and our family.”

The Black Eyed Peas singer turned solo artist and the actor married in 2009 and share four-year-old son Axl.

Fergie and Josh were one of those couples that never seemed to court the spotlight or get caught up in public drama – they just seemed normal. And in love – in a 2012 interview, Duhamel said his wife was the best thing that ever happened to him, meanwhile the Fergalicious singer said her husband was her “soul mate”.

Love is dead.