Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor split after 18 years; a look at their relationship in photos

Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor have announced that they are ending their 18 years of relationship. The couple issued a joint statement on Friday announcing their separation, but did not reveal the reason behind their separation.

"With tremendous love and respect for each other and the 18 years we spent together as a couple, we have made the decision to separate. Our priority will continue to be raising our children as devoted parents and the closest of friends. We kindly ask that the media respect our privacy at this time," Ben and Christine issued a joint statement to ET Online on Friday.

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Ben and Christine met in 1999 while shooting for Fox TV pilot Heat Vision and Jack. They started dating and within almost seven months later they got engaged in the same year. In May 2000, Ben and Christine tied the knot in an oceanfront ceremony in Kauai, Hawaii.

Ben proposed to Christine when he was shooting for the film Meet the Parents.

"I proposed to Christine [actress Christine Taylor] when I was rehearsing Meet the Parents... I asked her father for permission before I did it...," he told Parade in 2013. "It was like 'Meet the Parents' in real life, because Christine's father is an intimidating guy who owns a security company; we're good friends now, but at the time I was in the basement rec room saying, 'I really would like to marry your daughter...'"

"He's a man of few words but he was very welcoming. I was more nervous asking him than asking her...[Christine and my] relationship was a gradual thing that happened over a quick period of time, maybe seven or eight months," he further said.

Ben and Christine have two children together  daughter Emma, 15, and son Quinlan, 11.

Meanwhile, fans are disappointed and heartbroken after Ben and Christine announced their separation. Here is how fans reacted: