Elizabeth met José during the travels she chronicled in her memoir and decided to share the news of her split on Facebook as she has “shared details of my private life with you all so intimately over the years.”
“I am separating from the man whom many of you know as “Felipe” — the man whom I fell in love with at the end of the EAT PRAY LOVE journey,” she wrote.
The couple were played by Julia Roberts and Javier Bardem in Eat, Pray, Love.
“He has been my dear companion for over 12 years, and they have been wonderful years. Our split is very amicable. Our reasons are very personal.”
“At this time of transition, I hope you will respect our privacy. In my heart, I know that you will do so, because I trust that you understand how this is a story that I am living — not a story that I am telling.”
This article originally appeared on The Australian Women’s Weekly.
Watch Elizabeth in happier times gush about her husband Jose.
