Madonna and Guy must have really hit it off after being introduced by mutual friends Sting and Trudy Styler in 1999—she was pregnant with their first child (and her second) soon after.
Madonna gave birth to son Rocco on Aug. 11, 2000, about four months before she and Guy tied the knot in a grand ceremony at a Scottish castle on Dec. 22, 2000. Madge's daughter, Lourdes (from her previous relationship with Carlos Leon), led the wedding procession while Rocco watched from his nanny's arms.
The marriage worked for almost eight years, but their other joint production in 2002—a remake of the Italian movie Swept Away—was a match made in cinematic hell according to critics.
Back when Madonna was promoting her ninth studio album, American Life, the happy couple even took to dressing alike in his 'n' hers berets.
Madonna's interest in kabbalah extended to include the entire family—from this outing in 2006 to rumored sessions of marital counseling in 2008.
Amid much criticism that she had sidestepped legal procedure, Madonna and Guy adopted a young Malawi boy, David Banda Mwale, in October 2006. The adoption was finalized on May 28, 2008, and brought their final brood to a presumably happy family of five.
Before the latest round of breakup rumors, Madonna and Guy seemed to enjoy a family vacation with their three kids during a trip to India in January 2008.
Reports that the couple was leading separate lives went into overdrive in March 2008 when Guy failed to accompany Madonna as she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. At the time her rep said, "All is fine."
In early July, Madonna was blamed for the split of New York Yankees player Alex Rodriguez and his wife Cynthia. Madge denied any romantic relationship and said the two were simply friends who shared the same manager.
However he felt about her at the time, Guy organized Madonna's 50th birthday bash at a London nightclub in August. It was a family-and-friends affair with daughter Lourdes serenading her mom on the piano.
In their last official public appearance, Madonna and Guy Ritchie put up a united front at the premiere of his new movie, RocknRolla, on Sept. 1, 2008. Less than two months later they would call it quits.
Things seemed fine when Madonna accompanied Guy to his 40th birthday party at the Punchbowl pub in London on Sept. 11. She was gone by 10 p.m., but the early night was chalked up to her Sticky and Sweet touring schedule.
Just two days before announcing their breakup, Madonna put on a happy face for the red carpet premiere of her movie, Filth and Wisdom. However, the pistol heels on her stilettos might have been a clue that all was not well.