Melissa and Tammy Etheridge Split After Nine Years

By PopEater Staff Posted Apr 15th 2010 06:47AM

After nearly nine years together, Melissa and Tammy Etheridge have ended their relationship.

"Melissa and Tammy Etheridge are saddened to announce that they are now separated," Melissa's rep tells PEOPLE.

In a statement, the couple adds, "We ask for consideration and respect for our family as we go through this difficult period."

The rocker and 'L Word' actress exchanged vows in Malibu in September 2003. While the statement from the publicist described the rocker and actress as "married," California law did not allow marriages between same-sex couples at the time. Once same-sex marriage was legally recognized in California in 2008, the two planned to wed but they never made it down the aisle.

Tammy gave birth to their children, son Miller and daughter Johnnie Rose, in 2006.

Etheridge is also mom to two other children, Bailey, 13, and Beckett, 11, with former partner Julie Cypher.

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Tags: Melissa Etheridge, Tammy Etheridge

Comments

(115)

Thursday 15 April

By forpostingonly

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Better to remain silent and thought a fool, than to speak up and remove all doubt.

By delia

I hope they have to go through the same custody battles and alimony and child support battles that the rest of us heterosexual married couples do. They should have to file divorce proceedings etc the same as everyone else. you want to be married- you go thru everything married couples do to divorce!

By P-Land

They would have to go through the same crap, except, as pointed out in the article, they weren't actually married.

By TThomas

I'm sure when gays are allowed to marry they will have to go through all the legal mess everyone else does when they divorce. They aren't asking for the privileges without the problems.

By Rick

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they were never legally married....thanks to the puritanical bent of the politicians in this country...so you my heterosexual friend will have to go through the divorce procedure all on your own

By Mezzy Morhart

Same sex couples who marry have to go through the family court system to divorce just like straight couples. The point of wanting marriage for same sex couples is that they get every right straight couples do - that includes divorce, custody issues, spousal support, etc. Nobody is asking for anything special.

By Jeanie

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Read the article again

It says they were never married once it was legal in California

By ttrexxx

hey..they got divorced ..that's normal..lol

By Adanlena

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well my partner and I have been together for 22 years! so I guess that blows your theory!!

By dharma

congrats on your long term.. wonderful and of course it works i know more who are long term than not..

By Thomas

Adanlena .. congrats on your long term marriage...my partner and I were together for 37 years until his death in 2003. He will always be part of my life and lives on in my heart.

By rwilpop

My partner and I together 37 years.

Bob, you're so lacking brain cells. My son is 13 and already interested in girls. My daughter is 14 and while she's not boy crazy, there's a couple of boys that she thinks are cute. So don't go yapping your gums about how we teach our kids to be gay. Our kids are brought up to be tolerant of differences.

And P.S., our house is play date central. We always have a house full of kids and their parents know their children are safe here. Nobody's confused in our house.

By mickey

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Yuck, poor kids, wripop. Your whole house is confused, that's why it looks normal to you.

By Kitty

Again, another couple WHO REALLY CARES.

By Sonja

your a JERK

By flando

They'll probably just dump the kids on David Crosby's doorstep.

By Gina

These children do not have David as a father.

By Mezzy Morharts

Just because a couple divorces, it doesn not mean they stop being parents - gay or straight. And, it's already been said, but he's not the father.

By Shelly

So now....are the kids going to get new mommies and daddies?

By panhermes

Whao there all you hollier than thou oh so perfect folks who jump to judging, slow down and try doing some real thinking. Kids are involved, four young people...As in all splits of parents it is they who must be given support and every consideration. Marriage these dayZ is not doing so hot, fifty percent of hetro breeder marriage's end in divorce. Many people are just plain ill prepared for a LTR or permanent relationship. That's OK, you may not be ready you may never be ready, if so then remain single-have fun, and don't have kids. This couple must really be sad to find they cannot work it out and remain a couple. Sorry it did not work, now concentrat on making this as easy on your kids as possible and keep the media far far far away.

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