According to several sources, including an article in The Telegraph, the successful rock couple released a joint statement announcing the surprising news, saying:

“While the two of us have come to the mutual decision that we will no longer be partners in marriage, we remain partners in parenthood and are committed to jointly raising our three sons in a happy and healthy environment.”

Gwen Stefani, best known as the lead singer of hugely successful rock band No Doubt but also as a solo artist and fashion designer in her own right, has been married to Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale for nearly 13 years. They have three children together – 17 month old Apollo, 7 year old Zuma and 9 year old Kingston.

‘Irreconcilable differences’

According to the official divorce papers, which were filed in the Superior Court in California and have been widely published online, it is Stefani who is divorcing Rossdale. She cites ‘irreconcilable differences’ in the petition, which was filed on 3^rd August 2015. Unsurprisingly, as the couple are famously private and tend to keep their relationship out of the public eye, there are no further details on this. There have been some stories and speculations about the couple’s marriage, however – particularly in 2004 when it was discovered that Rossdale had fathered a child –a then 14-year-old Daisy Lowe, British model - from a previous relationship with fashion designer Pearl Lowe.

According to the entertainment website TMZ, which reportedly first broke the story on the Stefani-Rossdale divorce, the couple did not sign a prenuptial agreement when they married in London in September 2002, after first meeting in 1995. Stefani is reportedly worth $80 million, whilst Rossdale’s fortune is said to amount to $35 million – under Californian law, as it is in many places elsewhere, each is entitled to half of their shared property as there is no prenuptial agreement in place.

The divorce papers also reveal that Stefani has opted not to pay spousal support, suggesting a private agreement between the pair.

Divorcing after more than a decade

If you have been with your partner for many years, just as in this example of a high-profile celebrity divorce, it can be quite complicated and difficult work to divide up joint assets, share custody of children and to put it plainly – separate two lives that have been joined for so long.

If you’re going through something similar, you need an expert in your corner. The team at Tracey Miller Family Law have experience in all kinds of divorce cases, including those which have had many complications and obstacles to overcome, so are perfectly placed to offer you the very best advice and support. Get in touch for a friendly chat with one of the team at Tracey Miller, to see how we could help you.