Veronica Ferres and Carsten Maschmeyer announce separation

German actress Veronica Ferres and entrepreneur Carsten Maschmeyer have announced their separation after nearly twelve years together. The couple, who married in 2014, released a joint statement explaining that they had decided to go their separate ways some time ago and have transitioned into a “deep, trusting friendship.”

The announcement comes as a surprise to the public, as the pair had recently shared affectionate messages on social media, including birthday tributes to one another and to members of their blended family.

Maschmeyer was previously married to artist and photographer Bettina Maschmeyer for twenty years, from 1989 to 2009, a marriage that produced two sons.