Ben Affleck And Jennifer Garner To Divorce

Hollywood couple Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner have announced they are to divorce.

The pair released a statement confirming rumours of their split.

"After much thought and careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to divorce," they said.

"We go forward with love and friendship for one another and a commitment to co-parenting our children, whose privacy we ask to be respected during this difficult time."

The couple said they would make no further comment.

Affleck, 42, and Garner, 43, were married in 2005 after meeting on the set of Daredevil.

They have three young children.

Oscar-winning Affleck will continue to live on the couple's property in a separate house, according to an anonymous source quoted by AP.

The couple also plan to go to a mediator to settle their divorce, it was reported.

Rumours of a split surfaced when moving vans were spotted near the pair's Southern California home earlier this month.

Affleck has starred in box office smashes such as Argo and Gone Girl, while Garner's CV includes Juno and Dallas Buyers Club.

When he picked up his Best Picture Oscar for Argo in 2013, he referred to the marriage as "work".

"I want to thank you for working on our marriage for 10 Christmases," he said, addressing Garner.

"It's good. It is work but it's the best kind of work and there's no one I'd rather work with."