It's been the week of celebrity break-ups.
First Laura Dern and Ben Harper, then David Arquette and Courteney Cox and now Christina Aguilera has reportedly split from her husband of nearly five years, Jordan Bratman.
The 29-year-old Grammy Award winner was seen in a tearful embrace with a good friend yesterday as the news broke that she has separated from her 33-year-old music executive husband.
Seeking solace: Christina Aguilera finds support in the arms of a friend as the world learns that she and her husband Jordan Bratman have separated
With her blonde, unruly curls covered by a brown cap, Christina was looking decidedly dressed down in sweat pants and a hooded cardigan as she emerged from a large white SUV and fell into the arms of a friend.
Her heart-to-heart came as she released a statement, confirming she was separated from her husband.
Aguilera told People magazine: 'Although Jordan and I are separated, our commitment to our son Max remains as strong as ever.'
The news of the break-up - which apparently took place during the summer - was first reported by Us Weekly on Tuesday.
'They have been separated for a few months,' a source close to Aguilera told the magazine.
The source went on to say that the pair 'are now living apart and they will see how that goes,' but that they have not yet decided on whether they will divorce.
Hugs all round: Christina keeps her face turned away from the paparazzi during the embrace
They were very much in love,' explains the insider. 'But over the last six months, it became clear they were more like friends than husband and wife.'
Aguilera once gushed about her husband: 'I start to cry when I think of all he has brought to my life. As a team, we make each other stronger, wiser... just better.'
The couple met in 2002 when Bratman was working at Azoff Music Management, which is Aguilera's management company.
Her manager Irving Azoff introduced the two to one another.
People magazine reported on Bratman's romantic proposal to Aguilera: 'On February 11, 2005, the couple were in a Carmel, California hotel room filled with rose petals, balloons, and gift boxes.
Glum: A stony-faced Jordan Bratman was spotted leaving a meeting in Los Angeles yesterday
'Each box had a poem written by Jordan. When Christina opened the last box which had a ring in it, Jordan got down on one knee and said, "Will you do me the honour of being my wife?"'
Aguilera and Bratman had a sunset wedding in a tent near a forest on November 19, 2005 at Staglin Family Vineyard in northern California's Napa Valley.
The ceremony with about 130 guests was described as being lavish.
The wedding dress that Aguilera wore was designed by Christian Lacroix. She wore her hair pulled back in a bun and decorated in jewels and white flowers. The couple's wedding bands were designed by Stephen Webster of London.
Last hug goodbye: The estranged couple were photographed sharing an embrace on August 9 - around the time they were believed to have split
The couple's marital problems may explain Christina's recent weight gain. Normally trim and toned, the What A Girl Wants singer appeared at a Hollywood party two weeks ago with a decidedly fuller figure.
A source told Mail Online at the time: 'It's bizarre Christina has put on so much weight as she's been doing lots of dancing and high energy work for [her upcoming movie], Burlesque.
'The whole movie is choreography and she was very active so I'm surprised she's piled on the pounds so quickly'.
Christina has also been spotted out for some time now without her wedding ring.
However the pair are reportedly trying their hardest to remain on friendly terms for the sake of their two-year-old son, Max.
'Christina is doing her best to be a great mum,' says the insider. 'She has a lot to juggle, but she’s learning how to make it work and balance it all.'
Tense: It certainly didn't look like a case of happy families as Aguilera and Bratman strolled around New York in May with little Max
Christina is still keeping busy, though. She is currently working on the soundtrack for Burlesque, which opens in November.
In the film, Christina plays a small-town girl who ventures to LA and finds her place in a neo-burlesque club run by a former dancer - played by Cher.
Hopefully the movie will be successful as 2010 does not appear to have been a good year for Christina so far.
Along with her separation from Jordan, the singer released her fourth studio album Bionic earlier this year, but the record failed to impress and wasn't a hit with critics.
She also cancelled plans for a summer tour earlier this year which was rumoured to be because of poor ticket sales.
