Nicholas Sparks and His Wife, Cathy, Breakup After 25 Years of Marriage

Even the man who knows how to tug at women’s heartstrings with his epic tales of love couldn’t save his own relationship!

Nicolas Sparks, the author of The Notebook, has confirmed that he and his wife, Cathy, are calling it quits after 25 years of marriage. “Cathy and I have separated,” the 49-year-old writer told ‘People’ of the breakup.

“This is, of course, not a decision we’ve made lightly. We remain close friends with deep respect for each other and love for our children. For our children’s sake, we regard this as a private matter.”

The couple married in 1989 and are parents to five children: sons Miles, Ryan, and Landon and twin daughters, Lexie and Savannah.

Nicholas with Cathy and three of his children at the LA premiere of ‘The Lucky One’ in April 2012.

Nicholas rose to literary fame in October 1996 when his first novel, ‘The Notebook,’ hit bookstores. The popular love story was later adapted into a 2004 feature film starring Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling.

Since his debut, he has authored 17 more novels, nine of which — including the 2008 film ‘Nights in Rodanthe,’ starring Richard Gere and Diane Lane — have been made into movies.

‘People’ magazine first reported this news.