The End of an Era

News flash: Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe are splitting up. (Sniff!) "We are saddened to announce that Reese and Ryan have decided to formally separate," the couple's PR flack says. "They remain committed to their family and we ask that you please respect their privacy and the safety of their children at this time." Apparently, Reese initiated the split when she hired Jennifer Aniston's divorce lawyer. Most people are surprised at their separation, but according to gossip columnist Roger Friedman, the couple's been on the rocks for a while now -- likely due to Reese's swift rise to fame and Ryan's stagnant career.

Last December, rumors were swirling about the couple's meetings with a marriage counselor. When Oprah asked Reese about the gossip, she said, "In what capacity is working on yourself or your marriage a bad thing?...Nobody's perfect." Then, two weeks ago, at the Flags of Our Fathers premiere party in New York, Friedman saw the couple go at it -- in a bad way. "Reese was packing away cosmos and chatting happily with just about anyone, but it was clear she was peeved about something," he reports.