Angelina Jolie releases second statement on divorcing Brad Pitt

The couple are separating after two years of marriage

Angelina Jolie has said she will always do what is in the best interest of her family after announcing she is divorcing her husband of two years Brad Pitt.

The couple, who starting dating over a decade ago, announced their separation on Tuesday. Jolie filed for divorce in Los Angeles citing irreconcilable differences and asked for full physical custody of their children, according to celebrity gossip site TMZ.

News of their impending divorce sent shockwaves through celebrity media and the internet with fans grieving over the end of a relationship which has been marked by an ever-expanding brood of children, both Jolie and Pitt gushing over each other to the press and their public solidarity through difficult life events such as Jolie’s double mastectomy.

After releasing an initial statement through her lawyer confirming the divorce and saying the decision was “made for the health of the family”, Jolie’s manager Geyer Kosinski told E! News: “Angelina will aways do what’s in the best interest of taking care of her family. She appreciates everyone’s understanding of their need for privacy at this time.”

Pitt has also responded to the news separately in a statement saying he is "very saddened" by the divorce. "What matters most now is the well-being of our kids. I kindly ask the press to give them the space they deserve during this challenging time," he said.

While the circumstances surrounding their break-up are currently unknown and unconfirmed, Jolie’s father Jon Voight suggested “something very serious must have happened for Angie to make a decision like this”.