After two decades of marriage, Alan Ritchson and his wife Catherine are choosing to move forward separately — but they say they do not intend to walk away from each other entirely.

The 43-year-old Reacher star and Catherine announced on Sept. 12 that they had decided to end their marriage, sharing the news in a joint statement that focused less on conflict and more on the family they created together.

At the heart of their message were their three sons, Calem, Edan and Amory.

Rather than describing their separation as a complete break, Alan and Catherine said they plan to remain part of each other’s lives in a different way, prioritizing friendship, respect and co-parenting as their family adjusts to a major change.

Their Story Began Long Before Hollywood Fame

Alan and Catherine’s relationship stretches back to their teenage years.

They first met while attending high school, although their romance did not immediately become the long-term relationship they would eventually build.

The two later reconnected while Catherine was studying at the University of Florida. At the time, Alan was visiting Miami for a modeling job.

That reunion became the beginning of the relationship that ultimately led to marriage.

They wed on May 12, 2006.

Over the next 20 years, their lives changed dramatically. Alan’s career expanded from modeling and early acting roles into major television and film projects, eventually making him widely recognizable as the star of Reacher.

Along the way, the couple also became parents to three boys.

Although Alan’s career increasingly placed him in the public eye, he and Catherine generally kept much of their marriage and family life private.

Their Separation Announcement Focused on Their Children

In their joint message, the couple acknowledged the enormous amount of history they share.

They described themselves as people who essentially grew up together, built a life side by side and created a family that remains deeply important to both of them.

Their three sons, they made clear, will continue to be the center of their world.

The couple also emphasized that the end of their marriage does not erase the years they spent together or the affection and respect that remain between them.

Instead, they said the best thing they can now offer each other and their children is friendship and grace while working to become the strongest co-parents possible.

They also expressed a desire to give one another space to continue changing and growing individually.

The tone of the announcement was notably measured.

There were no public accusations or detailed explanations about what caused the marriage to end. Instead, the focus remained on how the family hopes to handle what comes next.

They Asked the Public for Privacy

Alan and Catherine also made an unusually direct request to people following the breakup.

They asked for privacy and compassion.

Their Instagram post had comments restricted, reinforcing their message that they did not want the most painful stage of their family transition turned into a public debate.

They explained that major change is difficult enough without outside opinions being added to the situation.

For them, the priority is now the health and happiness of the family — particularly their children.

Their statement ended simply, signed together as “Cat and Alan.”

The Marriage Had Apparently Faced Trouble Before the Announcement

The Sept. 12 statement may have been the first time Alan and Catherine publicly confirmed the end of their marriage, but their relationship had reportedly already gone through a difficult period.

Legal documents were reported to show that Alan had previously filed for divorce in December.

The couple then reconciled in March.

Months later, however, they announced publicly that they had decided to separate.

That timeline adds another layer to their statement about continuing forward in a different way. The decision appears to have come after at least one earlier attempt to repair the relationship.

No further explanation about what ultimately led them to end the marriage was included in their announcement.

One Year Earlier, Alan Was Celebrating Their Life Together

The separation also comes not long after Alan publicly described his marriage in deeply emotional terms.

For their 19th wedding anniversary in 2025, he posted a video tribute celebrating Catherine and the life they had built.

The footage included moments from red carpets and scenes of their family through the years.

In his message, Alan called himself extraordinarily fortunate and described building his marriage and family as one of the greatest successes and privileges of his life.

He also praised Catherine’s strength, wisdom, adventurous spirit and love, while saying he and their sons felt incredibly fortunate to have her in their lives.

Catherine had publicly supported Alan’s work as well.

When the third season of Reacher premiered in 2025, she celebrated the show and expressed how proud she was of him.

Those public moments make the couple’s latest announcement particularly poignant.

Their marriage did not end because the years before it no longer mattered. In their own statement, they stressed almost the opposite: that the history they shared cannot simply be erased by the decision to separate.

A Noticeable Change Came in 2026

There was also a quieter signal before the breakup became public.

Alan had shared an elaborate tribute for their 19th anniversary.

But when their 20th anniversary arrived in May 2026, no similar public message appeared.

Two months later, the family was still appearing together.

Alan, Catherine and their three sons attended the New York premiere of Motor City in July 2026, presenting a united family image shortly before the separation announcement arrived in September.

That sequence illustrates how little outsiders may know about what is happening privately inside a long marriage.

Public appearances can continue even while a family is deciding what its future will look like.

Twenty Years Together Will Not Simply Disappear

For Alan and Catherine, the next phase will be very different from the one they began in 2006.

They are ending their marriage after 20 years, but they remain connected by three children and by a relationship that stretches all the way back to their school years.

Their announcement suggests they are trying to preserve those connections even as they accept that their marriage itself is over.

There may be no traditional happy ending to a two-decade relationship ending in separation.

But Alan and Catherine appear determined to define the next chapter by what remains rather than only by what has been lost.

For now, that means friendship, room to grow and a shared promise to continue showing up for the three boys who have become the most important part of the life they built together.