Nicholas Sparks Separates from Wife of 25 Years

It's doubtful that he'll be using this as inspiration for his next book.

Nicholas Sparks, whose popular romance novels have turned him into a household name in households that include members of the female sex, has separated from his wife of 25 years, Us Weekly reports.

https://www.tvguide.com/gallery/shocking-celebrity-breakups-1054369/">

Sparks confirmed the news himself. "Cathy and I have separated," he said.

"This is of course not a decision we've made lightly," he continued. "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."

Sparks met Cathy during his senior year at Notre Dame and the couple wed in 1989. They are parents to five children--Miles, Ryan, Landon, Lexie and Savannah.

Sparks has gone on to write 17 novels, many of which have been turned into successful feature films, including The Notebook, A Walk to Remember, The Last Song, Nights in Rodanthe and the soon-to-be-released The Longest Ride, starring Britt Robertson.