American movie star couple, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes are getting a divorce. Reps for the “Mission Impossible” star have asked that the media respect Cruise’s privacy as he is “deeply saddened” by the split.

According to reports, Katie Holmes filed papers to end her five year marriage to Cruise on Thursday, citing “irreconcilable differences”. TMZ.com also reported that the split could get ugly as the star the “Batman Begins” actress is seeking full custody of daughter Suri, the couple’s only child together.

Reports say Cruise, who turns 50 on Tuesday, was “blindsided” by Holmes’ decision to walk away from their marriage and is asking for time to come to terms with the break up.

A brief statement from his reps read: “Kate has filed for divorce and Tom is deeply saddened and is concentrating on his three children. Please allow them their privacy.”

Cruise shocked fans in 2005 when he publicly declared his love for Holmes during an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show, jumping up and down on a studio couch and grinning happily.

And it didn’t appear the star was any less in love with his wife when he talked about their “very special” relationship in an interview with Playboy magazine in May.

Cruise told the publication: “She is an extraordinary person, and if you spent five minutes with her, you’d see it. Everything she does, she does with this beautiful creativity. She’s funny and charming, and when she walks into the room, I just feel better… I’m just happy, and I have been since the moment I met her. What we have is very special.”