Hollywood couple Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner are divorcing after 10 years of marriage.

Following weeks of speculation, the couple issued a joint statement to American celebrity website TMZ.

“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.”

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner
The couple pictured as they arrive at the 2013 Vanity Fair Oscars Viewing and After Party (Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

The couple, who have three children together – Violet, Seraphina Rose Elizabeth and Samuel Garner Affleck – would have celebrated their 10-year marriage anniversary on Monday.

During his acceptance speech at the Oscars in 2013, Ben referred to their marriage as “work”.

Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck
Jennifer Garner, left, kisses director Ben Affleck after Argo is announced the winner for the award for best picture during the Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in 2013 ( Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)

While picking up the trophy for best picture for Argo, he referred to Jennifer, saying: “I want to thank you for working on our marriage for 10 Christmases. It’s good. It is work but it’s the best kind of work and there’s no one I’d rather work with.”

The couple were married in 2005 after meeting on the set of Daredevil in 2003.

Rumours about their marriage reached a high point last month, following reports of a moving van being spotted outside their LA home.

Ben is set to star in the upcoming blockbuster Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice, which is due for release in 2016.

Directed by Zack Snyder, the movie is a sequel to 2013′s Man Of Steel, and Ben will be the eighth actor to play the caped crusader.

In an interview with Playboy in 2013, he spoke about how much Jennifer had helped to balance out his life.

He said: “Getting to know her, falling in love with her and being connected with her gave me a foundation to reach out and say, ‘Okay, I’m going to do Hollywoodland. I’m going to direct Gone Baby Gone’. Those were the steps forward I needed to put positive stuff on the board.”

His former high profile relationships have included singer Jennifer Lopez and actress Gwyneth Paltrow.

While dating J-Lo, the couple garnered the moniker ‘Bennifer’, and ended up getting engaged. Their relationship lasted two years from 2002-2004.

Shakespeare in Love cast
The cast of Shakespeare in Love pictured in 1999 (REED SAXON/AP)

Gwyneth meanwhile has been quoted in the media as saying she and Ben are ‘still friends’ to this day, following their relationship from 1997-2000.

Jennifer rose to fame playing CIA officer Sydney Bristow in the hit TV series Alias. She went on to win a Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award for the show, which ran for five years from 2001-2006.

She recently starred opposite Matthew McConaughey in the award-winning Dallas Buyers Club.

Jennifer Garner and Matthew McConaughey
Jennifer Garner and Matthew McConaughey seen at the 28th Annual American Cinematheque Awards Honoring Matthew McConaughey in 2014 (Eric Charbonneau/Invision/AP)

In 2013, during an interview with InStyle magazine, she is quoted as saying: “We both know we couldn’t do what we do without each other.”

“He (Ben) has been amazing at finding ways of telling me how much he appreciates what I do.”

“Honestly, I would do anything for that man, because I know it’s not to be taken for granted.”

Fans on social media expressed their sadness as the news and the hashtag ‘Ben Affleck’ started trending following their announcement.