Chris Pratt and Anna Faris announce separation after eight years of marriage

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Chris Pratt and Anna Faris are calling it quits

Fox411: Chris Pratt and Anna Faris announced in social media posts Sunday they were separating after eight years of marriage

Chris Pratt and Anna Faris announced in social media posts Sunday they were separating after eight years of marriage.

"We tried hard for a long time, and we're really disappointed," the actors wrote. "Our son has two parents who love him very much and for his sake we want to keep this situation as private as possible moving forward. We still have love for each other, will always cherish our time together and continue to have the deepest respect for one another."

Pratt and Faris married in 2009 and have a 4-year-old son together.

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The news of their split sparked a wave of shock and sadness online about the demise of one of Hollywood’s most popular couples. Their breakup quickly became a worldwide trending topic on Twitter, where the pair had frequently shared messages about each other and their family.

Pratt, 38, has become an international sensation in recent years and is the face of two major franchises: “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Jurassic Park.”

He spoke about balancing his home life and his career in an interview with The Associated Press earlier this year before the release of "Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2," which went on to become a blockbuster.

"For the first part of our relationship, we put our careers at the top," Pratt said of his relationship with Faris. "We were like, 'Honey, if you get a job and you have to go to Istanbul for six months, you're going. I'll help you pack. I'll Skype with you every day. You're living your dream, I'm living my dream. That's what we do.'"

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Faris, 40, has starred in "Mom" for five seasons opposite Emmy-winner Allison Janney. The actresses play mother-daughter who are both recovering drug addicts and are trying to navigate sobriety and relationships together. She is also the voice of the Jailbreak character in the recently-released "The Emoji Movie."

Legal separation can be a precursor to a divorce filing, but it doesn't mean one is imminent.

Several celebrity couples have in recent years announced their separations before filing any legal paperwork. Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner announced their separation in June 2015 but didn't file to end their marriage until April. Affleck's younger brother, Casey, and his wife announced they were separating in March 2016, but did not file divorce petitions until July 31.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.