Courteney Cox and David Arquette announce split

Friends star Courteney Cox and her husband David Arquette announced a "trial separation" today.

The actors said they had been separated for some time but remained committed parents and "best friends".

"The reason for this separation is to better understand ourselves and the qualities we need in a partner and for our marriage," their joint statement said. "We remain best friends and responsible parents to our daughter and we still love each other deeply."

The statement was released shortly after In Touch Weekly reported the couple's split.

Cox, 46, and Arquette, 39, met on the set of the film Scream in 1996 and married three years later. They have a six-year-old daughter.

Their statement said they were comfortable with the boundaries they had set up and hoped they would be treated with dignity by friends, family and the media.

While the pair are inserting some space into their personal lives, their careers remain intertwined.

Cox and Arquette are co-starring in the fourth instalment of the Scream series, which is due out next year.

Cox gained widespread fame for her role on Friends and currently stars in ABC's Cougar Town. Arquette is an executive producer of that show and has appeared in numerous films, including Never Been Kissed and 3000 Miles to Graceland.