Alan Ritchson and his wife, Catherine, have announced that they are ending their marriage after 20 years together. The “Reacher” star and Catherine shared the news Saturday in a joint statement posted on Instagram.
“After twenty years together, Cat and I have decided to end our marriage and continue alongside one another in a different way,” the statement began.
“We grew up together. We built a life and a family together.”
The couple added, “And we are raising three incredible boys who will always be the center of our world.”
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They said nothing could diminish what their years together meant to them or the love and respect they will continue to share.
They described friendship, grace and a commitment to becoming strong parents as the most valuable gifts they can now offer each other and their sons.
The statement also explained that both want room to grow into the people they are becoming while acknowledging the difficulty of change under public attention.
Ritchson and Catherine requested “privacy and compassion” as they move through this chapter, placing particular emphasis on their boys.
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In closing, the pair identified “the health and happiness” of their family as their “priority.”
Their announcement presented the separation as a change in their relationship while keeping their family at the center.
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Although the couple publicly revealed the split on Saturday, court records indicate that the legal process began earlier.
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Ritchson filed for divorce from Catherine in December 2025, according to an online court records system for Williamson County, Tennessee.
Ritchson and Catherine married in May 2006 and have three sons. Calem was born in 2012, Edan was born in 2013, and Amory was born in 2015.
Their connection began years before their marriage. The “Smallville” alum said during a 2022 interview on “Today” that he and Catherine first met in ballet while they were attending high school.
Ritchson previously celebrated their relationship publicly in May 2021, when he marked their 15th wedding anniversary with a heartfelt Instagram message. In that post, he looked back on the couple’s life since their wedding.
“15 years ago today two kids got married. They had no idea what splendid and terrible things lie ahead of them when they made that vow to remain each other’s partner in life, come what may,” he wrote, in part, at the time.
“Despite the precarious highs and the suffocating lows, they’re still holding hands.”
Ritchson also told Catherine, “I don’t deserve you and the memories we make.”
The message was part of his anniversary tribute to her.
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This year unfolded differently on social media.
Ritchson did not share a tribute for their milestone 20th anniversary earlier in the year, a notable contrast with the message he posted for their 15th anniversary.
Last month, Catherine posted an Instagram image featuring herself and her family in Philadelphia.
The post suggested that the couple had relocated there while Ritchson filmed “Reacher” Season 4.
On Thursday, Catherine followed that family post with a selfie alongside an Instagram post about taking a “solo trip.”
She described the trip as filled with “art” and “statements that resonate.”
Ritchson had also drawn attention in March after getting into a viral fight with a neighbor.
When he addressed the incident in July on the “Armchair Expert” podcast, he called it the “scariest thing I’ve ever been through.”
The separation announcement now puts the focus on how Ritchson and Catherine say they intend to move forward after 20 years together.
Their statement stressed respect, space, privacy and their shared responsibilities to Calem, Edan and Amory as the family enters a different chapter.
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