If you're like us, you're still reeling from the news that Chris Pratt and Anna Faris are legally separating after eight years of marriage, most of which they've been one of the Internet's most favorite couples.
The pair were married on July 9, 2009 in Bali and unlike many Hollywood duos, the pair have enjoyed a pretty scandal-free marriage, not to say that it's been without its bumps. Anna and Chris went through quite an ordeal when the Mom actress gave birth to son Jack Pratt nine weeks prematurely, but luckily, all turned out fine with him. Their 4-year-old son has been the light of the couple's life and they've spoken of their love for him and each other many times in the media and on social media.
Anna and Chris have not been shy about their love for each other or their struggles. Yesterday's joint announcement on social media, saying, "We tried hard for a long time, and we're really disappointed," was certainly no different.
Family law specialist Marshall Waller talked to E! News about what a "legal separation" really means for the famous twosome and their son.
"Generally speaking, the concept of separation has two components. Saying 'I’m separated' could mean almost anything but usually what it means is someone’s moved out or they’ve made the decision to end the marriage. Then there’s the concept of 'legal separation' which is actually a cause of action. It’s a lawsuit you can file instead of asking for dissolution, you can ask for legal separation," said the specialist. "The difference between the two is they are fundamentally identical, the only difference is at the end, with a legal separation, you are still married."
Waller added that the separation does have some custody consequences, however,"They certainly seem to be approaching it like two people who want to come to some sort of mutual agreement. It’s always better if the parents can come up with a custodial arrangement rather than having a judge force on one them."
We hope the estranged spouses can work together on making their separation work.
Check out everything that the actors have said about their relationship and being a parent to Jack.
During his acceptance speech at the 2016 MTV Movie Awards, the Guardians of the Galaxy actor thanked his wife and said, "Our son was destined to be tough, but thanks to you he will be smart, too."
The Jurassic World actor added, "I have the support of a strong partner who's been through this and understands it and whom I can share these experiences with. And we have a family that we're starting that's the focus of my attention."
He said, "I was like a great pet fat guy. I think Anna is hedging her bets that one day I'll be fat again, and she'll say, 'Remember, honey, I always told you I preferred you this way.'"
In 2014, he told People, "It started [for us] around the same time, and I don't think one of us wanted it any more than the other. She would say, 'How do you feel about that?' and I would say, 'Damn, I've been kind of thinking about that too! I think that'd be cool. Let's make that happen.' "
He told People in 2014,"He is such a fighter, he's amazing. He's so open and there's no fear in him no matter what. He is so charming that my plan is to just let him take care of us as soon as he's old enough."
Earlier this year, the actor appeared on his wife's sitcom and said to Entertainment Tonight, "We have a sex scene, like a sexy scene. We’ve been rehearsing that for 10 years."
Earlier this year, the 38-year-old wrote on Instagram during the Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2. press tour: "These press tours can be such a whirlwind. I’m grateful to have you and the boy with me on this one. Although it’s 3:00am right now, I was just awakened by a square kick to the back as little man climbed into bed and then must have had a karate dream or something and now I can’t sleep. I’m on insta instead. All you dads and moms know what I’m talking about."
In 2015, she told Redbook, "It's one of those things that drives you apart or makes you closer. I think that being a father is very meaningful and rewarding to Chris. He's a great dad. He's a little more serious than he was before. It forces your hand. You really have to become an adult."
In 2014, the husband told People, "We were scared for a long time. We prayed a lot."
He added, "It restored my faith in God, not that it needed to be restored, but it really redefined it...The baby was so beautiful to us, and I look back at the photos of him and it must have been jarring for other people to come in and see him, but to us he was so beautiful and perfect."
Joking to Women's Health in 2015, the actor said, "If you're like Anna and myself, we're very similar...We married ourselves because we have comparable egos and abnormally high self-esteem."
He told People, "I knew I wanted to marry her pretty soon [after I met her]...It took a while for me to admit it, because it would be crazy to be like, 'I want to marry you' the first day I met her. But I could have!"
She recalled on CBS' The Late Late Show in the spring of 2015, about seeing an African stick bug framed on his wall: "I was like, 'I've met the man of my dreams...We both have dead bug collections. 'Make out' was a gentle way to put it."
In a 2015 Reddit AMA, the actor said, "She and I grew up 20 minutes away from each other but never met until we met in L.A. We both got our start in horror spoofs. We both did an animated movie for Phil Lord and Chris Miller. We both made our careers playing guileless nitwits for laughs. We both have parents that have suffered with MS. The similarities go on and on. Anna is a great wife. Very patient and understanding. Very supportive. So kind and genuine always. And she gave me a wonderful son and family of in-laws that I truly love."
The actor said, "Anna and I are meant to be together. Our relationship has made me believe in divine intervention and destiny, just as much as my crazy career and the way I fell into this life."
In 2015, he said Elle magazine: "It was like magnets. Our personalities meshed, she was a goofball, she liked to have fun, it was impossible to offend her ... We were friends first but she left her husband at the end of the movie, and we started dating when we were back in Los Angeles."
He added, "We were friends, and I was there for her. And we had just played love interests, so we had this tight bond spending so much time and spending nights in Phoenix, but we never crossed the line. But we were, I think, developing feelings for each other at the time, you know? The day that she told me she was leaving her husband, I knew I was going to marry her."
She said, "He's humble, and he's a great leader, and he's an incredible father and a great husband. And I feel like, after years of dating people that weren't the best for me, I found somebody who's love I could really accept."
In 2016, the actress said to the Huffington Post: "He is sexy, but more importantly he's a great person." She added, "When I was falling in love with him, I loved how kind he was to people. I loved how smart he is, but he's not pretentious at all. He doesn't wear that as a badge—he kind of lets people slowly discover it."
In 2016, she said on her podcast Anna Faris is Unqualified, "Chris’ face when Jack was being born is unforgettable."
She continued, "He was holding my hand and he was just sobbing. I was scared he would be turned off by the whole thing…That was amazing, seeing his face."
The Just Friends star added, "We both love kids, Chris and I have both dreamed about having a big family...But I didn’t love pregnancy…I was just bored. I was uncomfortable at times, and Jack came early. He came two months early, so now I’m in a high-risk pregnancy category, but I would love to."
In Dec. 2016, she said on her podcast Anna Faris Is Unqualified: "I didn’t want to think of myself as somebody who could be bothered by … tabloid s--t." She added, "I think it was a combination of things. I take pride in how great my relationship is with Chris, but having said that, of course, in this crazy world where he’s off doing movies and I’m in L.A. raising our child, of course I’m going to feel vulnerable, like any normal human would."
In November 2013, he told Ellen DeGeneres, "I would like more [kids]. I would have another one right away. We’ve talked about it. [Jack]’s pretty awesome.”
In Redbook magazine’s March 2015 issue, she revealed that she went into labor in 2012, it was nine weeks before Jack was due. She said, "My water broke in the middle of the night at seven months," she said. “We rushed to the hospital and they were able to halt active labor with magnesium.”
She continued,"Chris and I were so scared, but then Jack came out and, even though he was so tiny, he looked so good to us."