Madonna, Ritchie to divorce: spokeswoman

Pop megastar Madonna and her British film director husband Guy Ritchie have agreed to divorce, a spokeswoman for Madonna said on Wednesday.

"Madonna and Guy Ritchie have agreed to divorce after seven and a half years of marriage, their representatives confirmed today," a spokeswoman said in a statement.

"They have both requested that the media maintain respect for their family at this difficult time."

The confirmation followed a report in Britain's Sun tabloid quoting a source who said Ritchie, 40, had pushed for the split.

Madonna, who is in the middle of her "Sticky and Sweet" world tour, married Ritchie in December 2000 in a lavish ceremony at a Scottish castle after meeting at a dinner party given by British rock star Sting.

The couple have an eight-year-old son, Rocco, and a three-year-old son adopted in Malawi, David Banda. Madonna also has a daughter, 12-year-old Lourdes, by her former fitness trainer Carlos Leon.

In July, Madonna took the rare step of issuing a formal denial of reports linking her to Yankees baseball star Alex Rodriguez, adding in a statement: "My husband and I are not planning on getting a divorce."

But according to The Sun, Ritchie -- the director of moderately successful gangster films including "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" -- has become frustrated.

He sees his superstar spouse as a "dead weight around his neck" and now wants a divorce to be agreed quickly, the source was quoted as saying.

"Guy's said if they were going to split, it has to be now -- and their marriage will finally be over in a matter of weeks," the source told The Sun.

Madonna was previously married to US actor Sean Penn, from 1985 to 1989.

In July, Madonna's brother said he believed she was committed to her marriage to Ritchie.

"She's not the kind of person just to walk away," Christopher Ciccone told US television, adding that the pop legend will "do what's best for her family and her kids.

歌坛“大姐大”麦当娜的女发言人于本周三证实，麦当娜已与英国电影导演盖•里奇达成离婚协议。

该发言人在声明中称：“双方代表今日证实，麦当娜与盖•里奇已达成离婚协议，结束七年半的婚姻。”

“双方希望，在这一非常时期媒体能够尊重他们的家庭。”

此前，英国《太阳报》援引一位消息人士的话说，是里奇向麦当娜提出了离婚。

麦当娜与40岁的里奇在英国摇滚歌手斯汀举办的一次晚宴上相识，并于2000年12月在苏格兰的一个城堡举行了盛大婚礼。目前麦当娜正在举行她的 “Sticky and Sweet” 世界巡回演唱会。

麦当娜和里奇共有两个孩子，8岁的儿子洛克尔和在马拉维收养的养子、三岁的戴维•班达。麦当娜与前夫、她的前健身教练卡洛斯•利昂还育有一个女儿——十二岁的洛德丝。

麦当娜于今年7月出人意料地发布了一个正式声明，否认自己与扬基棒球队球星亚历克斯•罗德里格斯有暧昧关系。她在一份声明中说：“我和里奇没有打算离婚。”

但此前《太阳报》报道说，里奇的情绪非常低落。盖•里奇曾成功执导了《两杆大烟枪》等几部著名的匪盗片。

该报援引消息人士的话说，里奇觉得他的巨星夫人“压得他喘不过气来”，现在他只希望能尽快离婚。

该消息人士向《太阳报》透露：“里奇表示，如果要分开，那就趁现在——他们的婚姻最终是要结束的。”

麦当娜与美国影星肖恩•潘还有过一段婚姻，这段婚姻从1985年持续至1989年。

今年7月，麦当娜的弟弟克利斯多佛•斯康纳表示，他相信姐姐是忠于里奇的。

他在接受美国电视台的采访时说：“她不是那种甩手就走的人，她会尽全力保护她的家庭和孩子”。