Fans of Jennifer Aniston were happy for the actress when they found out she wed fellow actor Justin Theroux back in 2015. After a string of romances with other celebrities that included Vince Vaughn and John Mayer, she’d finally found her Mr. Right and settled down again.

Following her highly publicized divorce from Brad Pitt, the gossip followed, but she kept a low profile, and her relationship with Theroux seemed solid. But fans got a sad surprise this past week when the couple announced that they split.

To get ahead of rumors and media speculation, the two released a joint statement about the news. Issued through Jennifer Aniston’s publicist, the initial statement touched on their unchanging love and friendship and how this was a mutual decision. Additionally, they wanted to speak directly to fans:

“Normally we would do this privately, but given that the gossip industry cannot resist an opportunity to speculate and invent, we wanted to convey the truth directly.

Whatever else is printed about us that is not directly from us, is someone else’s fictional narrative. Above all, we are determined to maintain the deep respect and love that we have for one another.”

Jennifer and Justin first met while they were both in Hawaii during the filming Tropic Thunder, but didn’t begin dating until years later in 2011, after Theroux’s breakup with his longtime girlfriend. He popped the question in 2012, and by 2015, the couple wed in a secret ceremony at their Bel Air home.

As is the case with celebrity couples, wild stories and rumors have begun to swirl about their separation, which is why they issued their joint statement to shut them down. Clearly, they are still very good friends because although they separated months ago, they spent New Year’s together on a vacation in Mexico.

Relax, fans. It was all platonic! It was the day after Valentine’s Day that the announcement was made and a few days after Jennifer’s birthday. Aniston, no stranger to being a target of Hollywood gossip, will probably try to do her best to maintain her privacy.

Breakups are hard enough, but when you’re constantly in the public eye it probably gets hard to breathe. Since becoming newly single, it was reported by E! News that Aniston celebrated her 49^th with friends days before the statement was released.

Perhaps a birthday photo posted to social media with an absent Justin Theroux could have held clues, as well as the absence of any lovey-dovey Instagram posts between the couple on that day and Valentine’s. While many fans are disheartened to hear the news, not all have lost hope.

Some still have a weird obsession with the idea that Aniston will reconnect with ex-husband Brad Pitt, who is also single right now. But don’t hold your breath on that one. Not everything is meant to be in Hollywood. Hopefully, both Aniston and Theroux will be able to heal and move on as loving friends. Click on this video to hear more!

Are you surprised that this Hollywood couple split? What’s your reaction to the breakup?