Ben Stiller, Christine Taylor separate after 17 years of marriage

Actors Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor have announced they are separating after 17 years of marriage and at least three movies together, his representative confirmed to USA TODAY.

In a joint statement provided by his publicist Liz Mahoney, the couple said, "With tremendous love and respect for each other, and the 18 years we spent together as a couple, we have made the decision to separate. Our priority will continue to be raising our children as devoted parents and the closest of friends. We kindly ask that the media respect our privacy at this time.”

Stiller, 51, and Taylor, 45, married in 2000 and have a 15-year-old daughter and 11-year-old son together. They also weathered Stiller's prostate cancer battle and the loss of his mother, actress Anne Meara, together.

The couple famously co-starred in 2001's Zoolander, 2004's Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story and 2008's Tropic Thunder.