CONFIRMED: Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux split

As previously reported yesterday by New Idea, the two had been spending a lot of time apart. Justin was not in attendance at Jen's 49th birthday party this week, which caused the two to make the final decision to split.

The couple released a formal statement to AP.

'Normally we would do this privately, but given that the gossip industry cannot resist an opportunity to speculate and invent, we wanted to convey the truth directly,' the statement reads. 'Whatever else is printed about us that is not directly from us, is someone else’s fictional narrative. Above all, we are determined to maintain the deep respect and love that we have for one another.'

Sources recently told PEOPLE that their busy schedules worked for both of them and helped their marriage.

A source told the publication, 'Justin often spends a few days in NYC by himself. When he is in NYC, Jen will catch up with friends and enjoys her own life. When Justin is in L.A., it’s very special for them. They socialize together with friends. They often go out to dinner or have people over.'

But, it was ultimately a 'long distance marriage.' 

In public Jen and Justin have always put on a solid front, but Life & Style reported that Justin was 'tired' of the false facade. 

'He seems like he's tired of carrying on the facade of a happy marriage,' a friend close to the star told Life & Style. 'Knowing Justin, I think he feels it's best to make it an official split. He will always love Jen, but deep down he seems to believe they'd be better off as friends.'

The couple met on the set of the 2008 film Tropic Thunder and began dating in 2011. They later married in a surprise and secret ceremony on August 5, 2015 — just a few days before Theroux’s 44th birthday.