Savage Garden’s Darren Hayes splits from husband Richard Cullen after 17 years of marriage
Savage Garden frontman Darren Hayes has divorced his husband Richard Cullen after 17 years of marriage.
The Truly Madly Deeply star, 50, shared the sad news on Wednesday, telling fans on Instagram that he split from British recording artist Cullen, 52, earlier this year.
Hayes began his post by saying that he had kept his marital problems a secret for “the past two years,” despite being an “open book” when it came to his music.
“After 17 years of marriage to the best person I have ever met, Richard and I have chosen to accept that our union has settled down tremendously and beautifully,” he wrote.
“In honor of this realization, we broke up earlier this year and have been emotionally supportive of each other during this huge change in our lives.”
Savage Garden frontman Darren Hayes (left) has split from husband Richard Cullen (right) after 17 years of marriage
Hayes went on to address the “ugly questions” about what led up to his marriage, to avoid hurtful speculation.
“No, there is no scandal to report, no infidelity, culprit or third party. It’s just life. We adore each other and always will,” he said.
“We see our marriage as our best partnership. No one can ever take away what we have achieved together. We’re still best friends. We always will be.
“Plus, we have a very cute and needy labradoodle to take care of, and the business of joy to take care of.”
In a lengthy Instagram post on Wednesday, Hayes said he’s kept his marital troubles a secret for “the past two years,” despite being an “open book” when it comes to his music.
Hayes concluded his post by praising his fans for their loyalty over the years.
“Thank you for always supporting our union – and for being so careful with this delicate thing we made. Love Darren (and Richard),’ he wrote, referring to his 2009 album This Delicate Thing We’ve Made.
Hayes accompanied the post with artwork of a crane that 52-year-old Cullen created for the album cover of This Delicate Thing We’ve Made.
“After 17 years of marriage to the best person I’ve ever met, Richard and I have chosen to accept that our union has settled down tremendously and beautifully,” the Truly Madly Deeply singer wrote.
Hours after Hayes confirmed the split, Cullen posted his own statement to Instagram, which read, “Today the sun is going down. Tomorrow it will rise again. And there’s nothing goddamn you can do to stop it.”
The news comes days after Hayes alluded to personal issues in a lengthy Instagram post about his latest single Feels Like It’s Over, which tells the story of a breakup.
The music video shows Hayes going through a painful breakup with a male partner.
Hours after Hayes confirmed the split, Cullen (pictured with the former couple’s dog) posted his own statement on Instagram, saying, “Today the sun is going down. Tomorrow it will rise again. And there’s not a damn thing you can do to stop it’
“Never in my entire career has art mimicked life more than this year,” he captioned an image from the music video.
He further praised his co-star Casey James and director Andrew Huebscher for their support during an emotional creative journey.
“This is the end of an era in so many ways. I poured my soul into this album, this tour and the people I met along the way and yes, in the end my heart was broken,” he added.
Hayes and Cullen can be seen here in happier times
‘Was it worth it? Don’t know. But it’s all real. I don’t know how to be different.’
Hayes’ divorce comes just a year after he spoke in glowing terms about his marriage to Cullen in an interview with Cullen The Sydney Morning Herald.
The former couple met online in 2004 and had their first date on the steps of Westminster University in London, where Cullen was teaching at the time.
The sad news comes just days after Hayes alluded to his marital problems in a lengthy Instagram post about his latest single Feels Like It’s Over, which tells the story of a breakup. Hayes (right) is pictured with actor Casey James (left) in the movie clip for Feels Like It’s Over
“It was love at first sight,” he told the publication.
‘He’s an Englishman with a cute Northern accent. My friends call him the gay Mother Teresa because he’s so perfect.’
Hayes called Cullen “the funniest person in the room” who likes to let him “shine in public, while in private he’s my counselor.”
Cullen was Hayes’ second husband, after his previous marriage to childhood sweetheart Colby Taylor (right) in 1994. (Pictured in 1998)
Cullen was Hayes’ second husband, following his previous marriage to high school sweetheart Colby Taylor in 1994.
A makeup artist, Taylor was married to Hayes when he rose to fame in 1997 as the frontman of Savage Garden.
“We were like Will & Grace – inseparable best friends,” he said of Taylor during an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald.
She’s one of the strongest women I know. Colby was there from the beginning of Savage Garden and the cyclone of madness that followed.
Savage Garden, made up of Darren and guitarist Daniel Jones, formed in 1993 and produced a slew of No. 1 hits such as To the Moon and Back and Truly Madly Deeply.
The band broke up in 2001. Darren continued with a solo career while Daniel married former Hi-5 star Kathleen De Leon.
Savage Garden, made up of Darren and guitarist Daniel Jones (right), formed in 1993 and produced a slew of No. 1 hits such as To the Moon and Back and The Animal Song