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- Mar 31, 2009
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Cheryl Cole is separating from her husband Ashley, her spokesman has confirmed.
The split follows allegations that the star's husband, the England and Chelsea footballer, had again been unfaithful.
The Fight For This Love singer flew back to Britain on Tuesday - again not wearing her wedding ring - after fleeing to the US when reports about her husband surfaced.
The 26-year-old's spokesman, Sundraj Sreenivasan, said: "Cheryl Cole is separating from her husband Ashley Cole. Cheryl asks the media to respect her privacy during this difficult time. We have no further comment to make."
The statement ends one of the most high-profile showbusiness marriages - the couple wed in 2006.
The marriage survived a previous allegation of infidelity, which came 18 months after the couple's highly-publicised wedding. Two women then sold stories about how they had become involved with the footballer.
Ironically, Cheryl's career hit new heights - becoming the nation's darling with a judging role on The X Factor - following the reports. Fight For This Love, Cheryl's first solo single, was inspired by her battle to fight for her marriage.
Ann Corbitt, the latest woman named as allegedly having had a fling with the footballer, refused to comment on the split. She referred all inquiries to publicist Max Clifford.
In an email she wrote: "Please contact my representative, Max Clifford, at Max Clifford Associates in London."
Ms Corbitt, 28, who works for Seattle City Council member Tom Rasmussen in the US, told the News Of The World the pair had a fling during a pre-season US tour in July.
Cheryl and Ashley Cole: a relationship history
The couple's romance began back in 2004 when Ashley asked Girls Aloud band mate Kimberly Walsh for Cheryl's phone number.
Cheryl and Ashley Cole: a relationship history Enlarge photo
By 2005 the pair were engaged and despite saying they wanted a "quiet wedding" ended up tying the knot with a white horse-drawn carriage and an OK magazine deal in place. Living in a £3.5 million mansion in Surrey, their seemingly idyllic life was almost shattered when allegations of Ashley's cheating came into the limelight just 18-months after their marriage.
Rumours that Cheryl had taken off her wedding ring and was going to ditch the England player soon disappeared and the pop star bounced back with a brand new solo career and a new job as an X-Factor judge.
Last year alone the 26-year-old Geordie singer won FHM's "sexiest woman in the world" award, achieved a number one with her first solo single Fight For This Love, and climbed Kilimanjaro.
But with the latest announcement about her marriage, it seems there might be bigger mountains to climb ahead.
Cheryl and Ashley Cole split: Chelsea star 'will hang on to his millions'
http://www.pressassociation.com/
Ashley Cole's alleged affairs have cost him his marriage to Cheryl Cole but will not cost him his fortune, according to divorce lawyers.
The couple did not sign a pre-nuptial agreement because Cheryl found them "disgusting" Photo: GETTY
The Chelsea and England star is facing life alone after his wife announced their separation.
Her decision to end the three-and-a-half year marriage follows claims that the footballer slept with an American woman during Chelsea's pre-season tour in Seattle last year.
However, Vanessa Lloyd Platt, a high-profile divorce lawyer, said: "Ashley could have slept with half the women in England and it would not affect the settlement unless he had been spending their money on them.
"The Coles had a short marriage and no children; the courts treat these cases very differently to 20-year relationships with kids involved. She has independent wealth, so will probably receive half of any assets they built up during the marriage."
Alan Kaufman, head of family law at Finers Stephens Innocent, said Cole's rumoured move to Spain or Italy could have a bearing on the divorce settlement.
He said: " They are both multimillionaires and so it could be a very quick divorce with no claims on either side. They will keep their independent wealth and go their separate ways."
However, Mr Kaufman went on: "If he was to move to Real Madrid for higher wages in the summer, could that impact the settlement? Her lawyers will certainly be keeping an eye on things."
The footballer earns £120,000 a week £6.2 million a year at Chelsea, under a four-year deal signed last year.
He was dubbed "Cashley Cole" after disclosing his autobiography that he almost crashed his car in shock on learning that Arsenal, his former club, was offering him a mere £55,000 per week.
Cheryl Cole earned £1.2 million for her role as a judge on the last series of The X Factor and will make considerably more if she takes up Simon Cowell's offer to become a judge on the planned US version.
She also has a deal as the face of L'Oreal hair products, reported to be worth £500,000, and has banked several million from her career with Girls Aloud.
The couple have a joint fortune of £17 million, according to the most recent "rich lists".
They pocketed £1 million from a glossy magazine for coverage of their wedding. Their Surrey mansion, bought for £3.5 million in 2008, is thought to be worth £6 million now following renovations.
Before their 2006 wedding, the Girls Aloud singer said she found the idea of a prenuptial agreement "disgusting".
"I think that's defeating the point. We're getting married because we're committing ourselves to each other to spend the rest of our lives together. No ifs and buts," she said.
"I think [pre-nups] are disgusting. I could understand if you're 93 and you've got billions of pounds and this 24-year-old wants to marry you in a month. But we're a work in progress, we're going to build our married life together not thinking about if it ever ends."
After the couple wed, Cole added to her tattoo collection by having "Mrs C" inscribed on her neck.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/new...helsea-star-will-hang-on-to-his-millions.html