(CNN) Robert De Niro has broken his silence about recent reports that he and his wife Grace Hightower have separated.

"Grace and I have two beautiful children together," the Oscar-winning actor said Tuesday in a statement to CNN. "We are entering a period of transition in our relationship which is a difficult but constructive process."

"I honor Grace as a wonderful mother and ask for privacy and respect from all as we proceed to develop our roles as partners in parenting," De Niro added in the statement.

The couple met when Hightower was working as a hostess at a Mr. Chow restaurant and married in 1997.

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