Johnny Depp, Vanessa Paradis split

2012-06-20 445

PLEASE NOTE EDIT CONTAINS 4:3 MATERIAL

"Pirates of the Caribbean" star Johnny Depp has separated from his partner of 14 years, French actress Vanessa Paradis, a representative for the actor said on Tuesday (June 19).

"Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis have amicably separated. Please respect their privacy and, more importantly, the privacy of their children," Depp's publicist said in a statement.

Tuesday's announcement follows widespread reports earlier this year that the couple's relationship was on the rocks, although Depp denied rumors of a split to British newspaper The Sun in May.

Depp, 49, began dating French singer, actress and model Paradis, 39, in 1998, following his split from British supermodel Kate Moss. Depp and Paradis have two children, Lily-Rose, 13, and nine-year-old Jack, and set up homes in France, Los Angeles and on a private island in the Caribbean.

The couple never married, although Depp has been married once before and had a high-profile relationship with actress Winona Ryder in the early 1990s.

John Russell, Reuters.