Gwyneth Paltrow, Chris Martin call it quits

Oscar-winning actress Gwyneth Paltrow and Coldplay frontman Chris Martin announced their separation, signaling the end of the A-list couple's 11-year marriage. In a statement entitled "Conscious Uncoupling" posted on Paltrow's lifestyle website Goop.com on Tuesday, the stars said they had decided to "remain separate" after battling unsuccessfully to save their marriage over the past year. "It is with hearts full of sadness that we have decided to separate," said the couple, who moved back to Los Angeles recently after spending several years in London. "We have been working hard for well over a year, some of it together, some of it separated, to see what might have been possible between us, and we have come to the conclusion that, while we love each other very much, we will remain separate." Paltrow, 41, and Martin, 37, have two young children, Apple, nine, and Moses, seven, and appealed for privacy as they navigated their break-up. "We are, however, and always will be a family," the couple said. "We are parents first and foremost, to two incredibly wonderful children and we ask for their and our space and privacy to be respected at this difficult time." The statement -- signed "Love, Gwyneth & Chris" -- was accompanied by an old photo of the couple, smiling as they lounged on grass. Soon after the statement went online, Goop.com crashed for several hours after being overwhelmed with visitors. Paltrow, who co-stars in the billion-dollar blockbuster "Iron Man" movies, won a Best Actress Oscar in 1999 for her role in "Shakespeare in Love." - Show of affection - As recently as January, the couple had been seen cuddling affectionately together at the Golden Globes Awards in Beverly Hills. However their marriage has been the subject of tabloid speculation for years, with reports as recently as February indicating that Martin was unhappy at the couple's move to Los Angeles late last year. And in a wide-ranging interview with Harpers Bazaar last April, Paltrow admitted her marriage to Martin was sometimes challenging. "We are growing into very similar people," she said. "It's cool, it's good. It's not always easy though!" In a separate June interview, however, Paltrow hinted at strains. "It's hard being married," Paltrow said. "You go through great times, you go through terrible times. We're the same as any couple. "I asked my Dad once, 'How did you and (Mom) stay married for 33 years?' And he said, 'Well, we never wanted to get divorced at the same time.' And I think that's what happens. "When two people throw in the towel at the same time, then you break up, but if one person’s saying, 'Come on, we can do this,' you carry on." - 'Ups and downs' - In another interview Paltrow, whose previous boyfriends included Brad Pitt and Ben Affleck, suggested that managing two artistic temperaments in one household was the couple's biggest challenge. "Artists are sensitive; there are ups and downs, mood-wise. Musicians need a certain gravitas and focus in order to write," she said. The break-up comes after a challenging year for Paltrow, who reacted furiously upon learning that Vanity Fair magazine was planning a story rumored to be an "epic takedown" of the actress. Vanity Fair later spiked the article. Paltrow and Martin reportedly met backstage at a Coldplay concert in late 2002, after the singer asked an assistant to arrange a meeting with the actress. The following year, the couple tied the knot in a secret ceremony in California soon after announcing they were expecting their first child together. British singer Martin founded Coldplay with a university friend in 1996 and the band enjoyed huge critical acclaim with their first two albums "Parachutes" and "A Rush of Blood to the Head." Since then the band have sold tens of millions of albums. The group's sixth album, "Ghost Stories" is due for release in May.