Chris Martin, Gwyneth Paltrow announce split as 'conscious uncoupling'

Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin have split after 11 years of marriage and named the title of their joint statement as 'conscious uncoupling'.

The couple, who got married in December 2003 and have two children together, said that they finally decided to separate despite of the fact that they still loved each other 'very much', the Mirror reported.

They said that they had been working hard for well over a year and have come to the conclusion that while they love each other very much, they will remain separated, but will always be a family, and that they are closer than ever in many ways.

Martin and Paltrow also asked for privacy for them and their children and hope to conduct this privately as they "consciously uncouple and coparent".

The title of their announcement bemused their Twitter fans, as people joked that it can be a good band name, or that they thought it could have been an announcement for the couple's third child.