Chris Pratt and Anna Faris have revealed they are legally separating after eight years of marriage.

The acting duo, who have a son together - four-year-old Jack - announced the news on Sunday via social media.

Pratt, 38, posted the joint statement on Facebook which read: 'Anna and I are sad to announce we are legally separating. We tried hard for a long time, and we’re really disappointed.

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It's over: Chris Pratt and Anna Faris have announced they're separating after eight years of marriage. The couple are pictured on April 24

Heartbreaking: Pratt, 38, shared the news on his Facebook and Twitter accounts on Sunday

'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.'

Faris, 40, also shared the statement on her social media accounts.

The acting twosome - who both originate from a comedy acting background - met in 2007 on the set of Take Me Home Tonight when Anna was married to actor Ben Indra.

They got engaged the following year and their wedding took place in Bali on July 9 2009.

'Our son has two parents who love him very much': The acting duo, who married in 2009, have four-year-old son Jack together. The family are pictured April 21

Jack was born nine weeks prematurely and spent a month in the NICU, an experience which Guardians of the Galaxy star Chris says 'really defined' his faith in God.

The last time Pratt featured his wife on Instagram was in May when he gushed about the actress on Mother's Day.

Alongside a photo of Faris and their son, Pratt wrote: 'A big Mother's Day kiss and hug across the pond to my darling wife @annafaris and our sweet boy. I miss you both so much. I love you.'

Notably missing: Chris didn't join Anna and Jack at the premiere of The Emoji Movie on July 23

Faris is currently shooting the fifth season of her CBS sitcom, Mom, while Pratt currently stars in Guardians of the Galaxy 2 and has the Jurassic World sequel set for release next year.

It's been suggested that the split is partially down to the couple's hectic work schedules, with Faris busy with her sitcom and various other projects and Pratt taking on huge blockbuster movies.

He has spent most of this summer away in the UK and Hawaii shooting Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom; and although Faris and Jack visited him on location, Pratt's schedule would have been taxing on the family.

The promotion for the major films Pratt takes on also takes him around the world for weeks at a time, with Faris needing to stay in LA to shoot her sitcom, which records at Warner Brothers studios in Burbank.

He has spent most of this summer away in the UK and Hawaii shooting Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom; and although Faris and Jack visited him on location, Pratt's schedule would have been taxing on the family (pictured in Jurassic World I)

Passengers: Romance rumours were hinted at when Pratt and Lawrence were shooting their sci-fi movie last year

Pratt has also been paired up with several glamorous female stars on his latest films, namely Jennifer Lawrence, whom he starred with in Passengers earlier this year, and Jurassic World's Bryce Dallas Howard.

The latter is happily married, but romance rumours were hinted at when Pratt and Lawrence were shooting their sci-fi movie last year.

But, speaking back in late April at his Hollywood Walk of Fame star ceremony, Pratt affirmed how solid his and Faris' marriage appeared to be: 'I want to thank my wife Anna, I love you. You've given me so much. You gave me the greatest star in the galaxy in my little boy, I love him and I love you.

'We have bonded to make this molecule that is more important to me than air or water, and without it none of this means anything to me. With every challenge, with every day, week, month, decade, we become more bonded.

Co-stars: Pratt has also been paired up with several glamorous female stars on his latest films, namely Jennifer Lawrence (L), whom he starred with in Passengers earlier this year, and Jurassic World's Bryce Dallas Howard (R)

'You make me laugh like nobody else. You're very caring, and thank you for your trust and your sacrifice - and for your dedication and your heart. I will do my best to protect it, and in return I will give you all of those things as well. You have my heart, my dedication, my trust.'

The family looked happier than ever when they showed up to the ceremony on Hollywood Boulevard, clearly thrilled to be honouring such an occasion.

'I'm a man of faith and I believe that God works in mysterious ways and gives us signs and gifts in life - and those gifts oftentimes come in the form of people, Chris went on. 'So I'll just spend the rest of my time expressing gratitude for the people in my life who are gifts.'

'I miss you both so much': The Passengers star gushed about his wife on Mother's Day in this Instagram from May

In December last year the actress admitted she had been affected by cheating rumors surrounding her husband.

In an episode of her Unqualified podcast, Faris told fellow actress and close pal Isla Fisher: 'It made me feel incredibly insecure. Chris and I, we talk about this a lot. We grapple with a lot of the ideas of being a public couple.'

She admitted their relationship had been tested a year prior by 'some tabloid rumors about strain in our relationship'.

She tried to ignore it, she said, but 'I just remember feeling so hurt in a way that bothered me, because I didn't want to think of myself as somebody who could be affected by… tabloid s**t.'

His hero: Faris, 40 shared this photo of Chris and Jack checking out one of the actor's movie posters

'I'm going to feel vulnerable, like any normal human would': Anna admitted last year that she would feel insecure about cheating rumors surrounding Chris

She went on to explain: 'I take pride in how great my relationship is with Chris, but having said that, of course, in this crazy world where he's off doing movies and I'm in L.A. raising our child, of course I'm going to feel vulnerable, like any normal human would ….'

Chris also revealed the challenges of his packed filming schedule, telling Entertainment Weekly that between his son turning seven and 13 months, he only saw him twice.

He said: 'It’s tough. Anna told me his first sentence was ‘Dada’s working.’

Just last month the Scary Movie star talked about her 'normal' home life with the movie hunk.

'Chris loves to work in the garage and I love to do laundry and watch reality television,' she told People.

She also shared clips on her social media about how the couple work out together, featuring videos of Pratt lifting up his wife, wrapping her legs around his head and using him as a human climbing frame - showing off their fun-loving home life.

There was no signs of trouble in paradise in December when the actress showed off a stunning diamond ring that 'incredibly romantic' Chris had gifted her.

She gushed: 'He just got me this ring.....Like two days ago,' she told E! on the red carpet. 'He's an incredibly romantic man and I'm very, very lucky.'

She did however admit to it being challenging living life as a Hollywood couple in the spotlight.

Funny gal: Faris is currently filming the fifth season of her sitcom Mom

Movie hero: Pratt stars in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

'I don't think that's something, when you're an actor, that you're prepared for. There are two different roles that you play — the one on-camera and the one in public. That’s the tricky part.'

In 2015 Pratt opened up about the key to a successful marriage in Hollywood.

The Parks and Recreation star told People: 'It’s just as important, if not more important, to focus on your relationship with your partner because your children are going to leave one day [and] you have to maintain a relationship that’s going to outlast your child's needs for you.

'I have the support of a strong partner who's been through this and understands it and whom I can share these experiences with,' he added. 'And we have a family that we're starting that’s the focus of my attention.'

Beginnings: The couple are seen in a photo from August 2009, a month after they married

Chris has changed both his Twitter and Instagram bio since the split announcement to 'gone fishin', indicating he will now take some time out of the spotlight as he comes to term with the heartbreak.

His Twitter bio used to read: 'I use my twitter for jokes mostly. But I use my Instagram for deeper more meaningful stuff like pictures mostly'

He also changed his social media profile pictures to a beautiful shot of the sunset.

Shortly after his post on Monday, he changed his Facebook profile pictures of shots of him fishing.

Meaningful: Chris has changed both his Twitter and Instagram bio since the split announcement to 'gone fishin', indicating he will now take some time out of the spotlight as he comes to term with the heartbreak.

Change: He also changed his social media profile pictures to a beautiful shot of the sunset

Fans of the Hollywood golden couple took to social media sharing emotional messages in the wake of the shocking split.

After news spread of their separation, people flooded social media with messages about the break up along with memes describing their emotions.

A Twitter user named Melissa shared a gif of a man sobbing uncontrollably in the shower and wrote: 'Chris Pratt and Anna Faris have announced their separation. I DON'T KNOW WHAT LOVE IS ANYMORE.'

'Me hearing the news about are separating,' another Twitter user wrote alongside two emojis and a gif saying 'I am dead inside'.

A Twitter user named Melissa shared a meme of a man sobbing uncontrollably in the shower and wrote: 'Chris Pratt and Anna Faris have announced their separation. I DON'T KNOW WHAT LOVE IS ANYMORE.'

One woman tweeted: 'Chris Pratt and Anna Faris are seperating?! (sic) That's it. Love is over now.'

One woman tweeted: 'Chris Pratt and Anna Faris are seperating?! (sic) That's it. Love is over now.'

She sent the message with a gif showing Mean Girls character Regina George crying.

Another woman tweeted: 'Chris Pratt and Anna Faris are getting a divorce and in other news love is dead and there's no hope for any of us.'

Another woman tweeted: 'Chris Pratt and Anna Faris are getting a divorce and in other news love is dead and there's no hope for any of us.'

'not to be over dramatic but Chris Pratt and Anna Faris splitting up is the worst thing to happen to me this decade,' one woman simply tweeted.

One woman posted a WikiHow link showing 'Five Ways to Stop Hyperventilating' along with this message: 'I usually don't care about celebrity break ups but I wasn't ready for the Chris Pratt and Anna Faris separation.'

'me thinking Chris Pratt and Anna Faris separating is an April fool's prank and then realizing it's August and love is dead,' one man wrote alongside a meme showing a man with tears running down his face.

Another woman even shared a gif of Pratt shouting 'I'm not, I'm not crying okay!'