Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez have split up.

The couple confirmed they are going to end their marriage with People magazine. They were married in June 2004.

In a statement, the couple said they had decided to bring their marriage to an end. The decision has been a very difficult one, they continued. For everyone involved it’s a very painful time. At this time we would really appreciate that our privacy be respected.

Lopez, the pop icon and “American Idol” judge, and Anthony, the pop singer, have twins that are three years old: Emme and Max. The couple didn’t go into the reasons they were splitting up.

The 42-year-old Anthony and 41-year-old Lopez have been friends for a long time. During the 1990s, they dated and got back together again after Anthony and his wife Dayanara Torres divorced and the highly publicized break-up of Lopez and Ben Affleck, her then-fiance.

The partnership of the couple extended beyond their marriage. In 2006, they starred in the movie “El Cantante” and in 2007 toured together. In 2008, the couple renewed their vows and in 2010 once again. However, the renewals apparently were not sufficient to keeping their marriage intact.

Marc Anthony, who is currently touring Latin America in support of his latest album “Iconos,” has announced tour dates for the U.S, which includes visits to some of Anthony’s favorite cities.

To date, nine U.S. fall dates have been announced by Anthony. The tour is being produced by Cardenas Marketing Network and will kick off in Minneapolis at State Fair Grounds on September 1 and wrap up in Los Angeles at Gibson Amphitheater on September 24.

Anthony said, I am very excited that on this tour I will get to visit some of my most favorite cities. I can’t wait for the opportunity to be share with the fans my music. CMN will once again be my partner on my forthcoming U.S. tour.

Starting Friday May 20, tickets will going on sale for the concerts via Ticketmaster.

Anthony’s 11th album “Iconos,” features classic Latin ballad covers from artists like Jose Jose, Jose Luis Perale and Juan Gabriel. The set hit the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart as well as Spanish Album chart.

During the summer, Anthony will also return to “Hawthorne” on TNT to reprise his Police Detective role as Nick Renata. The show was expanded recently to a regular series.

Latin crooner Marc Anthony will be hitting the United States early in the fall to back up his late spring release, “Iconos”.

Anthony’s short east coast album trek will entail seven dates with a two-night engagement in Miami’s American Airlines Arena on September 17 and 18. The east coast tour will kick off on September 10 at the Madison Square Garden in NYC and will cap off with a show at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, IL on October 2.

The Latin Grammy Award winner is currently tackling a series of shows in South America also to further promote the said album. His next stop will be tomorrow, July 31, in Ecuador at the Modelo Stadium in the city of Guayaquil. He will conclude his Latin continental trek in Colombia on August 29.

“Iconos” marks the balladeer’s first studio release after a six year break from recording. The album, which hit the shelves last May and debuted atop the Billboard Latin Albums chart, contains ten cuts – two new tracks and eight revivals.

Meanwhile, Anthony is also busy preparing and recording new material for his next release – a salsa set – according to a New York Times report. “We are firing on all cylinders to get a salsa album done by the end of the summer,” Anthony told the broadsheet.

The album is yet to be titled and scheduled for a definite release date, and if a late summer release is seriously being considered, the new album’s arrival will just be in time for Anthony’s return performance to American soil.