Demi Moore confirms Ashton Kutcher split

Demi Moore has confirmed her six-year marriage to Ashton Kutcher is over.

Reports of relationship trouble for the couple first surfaced in September (11) when Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore spent their sixth wedding anniversary (24Sep11) apart.

They refrained from commenting on allegations of a break-up or addressing speculation about Ashton Kutcher's infidelity, and they appeared to be trying to work through any problems by making an effort to spend more time together.

The actress was recently spotted visiting the funnyman on the set of his TV show Two and a Half Men, but rumours continued to circulate about a split when Demi Moore failed to support Kutcher last month (Oct11) as he was honoured at the GQ Gentleman's Ball for his work with their joint charity initiative.

Now Demi Moore, 49, has made the split official - although she only hints at the affair scandal with a woman named Sara Leal, which appears to have prompted her to leave 33-year-old Ashton Kutcher.

A statement released on Thursday (17Nov11) reads, "It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that I have decided to end my six-year marriage to Ashton.

"As a woman, a mother and a wife there are certain values and vows that I hold sacred, and it is in this spirit that I have chosen to move forward with my life.

"This is a trying time for me and my family, and so I would ask for the same compassion and privacy that you would give to anyone going through a similar situation."

Releasing his own statement via Twitter.com, Ashton Kutcher writes, "I will forever cherish the time I spent with Demi. Marriage is one of the most difficult things in the world and unfortunately sometimes they fail."

Last month (Oct11), Leal went public with claims she had had unprotected sex with Ashton Kutcher during a summer (11) fling in San Diego, California as part of a tabloid tell-all.