Dhanush and Aishwaryaa have announced their separation. The duo issued an identical statement on social media, confirming that they are separating.

While they chose to not delve into the reason behind their split, Dhanush and Aishwaryaa said they needed to ‘take time to understand (them) as individuals for the better.’

Their statement read: “18 years of togetherness as friends, couple, as parents and well wishers to each other. The journey has been of growth, understanding, adjusting and adapting. Today we stand at a place where our paths separate. (Aishwaryaa and Dhanush) have decided to part ways as a couple and take time to understand us as individuals for the better."

The news has shocked fans, especially since it comes just less than three months after Aishwaryaa had dedicated a post to Dhanush on Instagram.

In October, Dhanush and Aishwayaa’s father Rajinikanth had come together to attend the prestigious National Awards ceremony in New Delhi.

While Rajinikanth was honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, Dhanush had won the National Film Award in the Best Actor category for his performance in Asuran.

On October 25, Aishwaryaa took to Instagram to share a picture of the duo and express her happiness. “They are mine … and this is history 💜💜#prouddaughter❤️ #proudwife," she captioned the picture.

Dhanush and Aishwaryaa married in 2004. They welcomed their first son Yatra in 2006 and four years later, in 2010, they had their second son Linga.

They had collaborated on the work front as well, with Aishwaryaa directing the movie 3, starring Dhanush and Shruthi Haasan, and the black comedy Vai Raja Vai.