Mad Men star Jon Hamm has separated from his partner, actress/writer Jennifer Westfeldt, after 18 years together.
“With great sadness, we have decided to separate, after 18 years of love and shared history,” the couple said in a joint statement.
“We will continue to be supportive of each other in every way possible moving forward.”
Jon, 44, and Jennifer, 45, first started dating in 1997 and co-starred in the 2011 film Friends with Kids, which Jennifer wrote, directed and produced. Jon also played a role in another film Jennifer wrote, 2001’s Kissing Jessica Stein.
While the two have always been publicly supportive of each other, Jon and Jennifer have battled rumours of a split in the past – in April, they even released a statement denying claims of trouble in paradise.
However, when Jon went into rehab earlier this year to complete treatment for alcohol addiction, Jennifer was right by his side.
“He needs [her]. He has to have that in his life,” a source told People of the stability Jennifer brought into Jon’s life.
The actor has had a tumultuous time in Hollywood, after struggling for years to find his breakout role. It eventually came along in the form of the dark, deeply troubled Don Draper on AMC’s acclaimed series Mad Men.
Jon’s work on the 1960’s-era show has seen him nominated for eight Emmy Awards over the course of the series, but Jennifer admitted to GQ that getting into character hadn’t been easy for him.
“I think the darkness of Don has weighed heavily on Jon, despite it being the role of a lifetime and the opportunity that gave him the career of his dreams,” she told the magazine earlier this year.
