Nicholas Sparks and wife split after 25 years

CEBU, Philippines – This love story did not have a happy ending. Best-selling author Nicholas Sparks and his wife Cathy — the inspiration for his many heart-wrenching novels — are separating after 25 years of marriage.

“Cathy and I have separated,” Sparks, 49, said. “This is of course not a decision we’ve made lightly. We remain close friends with deep respect for each other and love for our children. For our children’s sake, we regard this as a private matter.”

The pair, who tied the knot in 1989, share five kids.

The famed scribe, whose beloved books (many adapted for the big screen) include tearjerkers like “The Notebook,” “The Best of Me,” “The Last Song,” and “A Walk to Remember” — first met his wife during spring break in his senior year at Notre Dame. In a previous interview, Sparks recalled how he met Cathy on a Monday. By Tuesday, he told her: “I will marry you.”

The two then exchanged passionate love letters, much like a plot from one of his beloved films. “Between March, when we met, and May, when we graduated, I don’t know, a hundred love letters?” Sparks speculated.

In a 2013 interview, Sparks said that his wife served as the inspiration for many of the female characters in his stories and subsequent film adaptations starring A-listers like Rachel McAdams, Miley Cyrus, Julianne Hough, and more.

“I married a woman who loves a lot,” Sparks said. “Certainly every female character I’ve ever crafted is a lot like my wife. They’re intelligent, loyal, and funny. And most of all, they’re not wishy-washy women. They’re good, solid women.”