MUMBAI: It was in 2010 during the shooting of Kites when the rumours of everything not being hunky-dory between Hrithik Roshan and his wife Sussanne started rolling. The actor was rumoured to be dating the film’s lead actress Barbara Mori. However, he rubbished all the rumours and said all was well.

But as unfortunate as it may sound, now an official announcement has come from Roshan that reveals that the couple are ending their 17-year long relationship. They got married on 20 December 2000. It’s an irony that the announcement has come just few days before their 13th marriage anniversary.

It reads: “Sussanne has decided to separate from me and end our 17-year relationship. This is a very trying time for the entire family and I request the media and the people to grant us our privacy at this time. I do not wish this news to disempower my fans and the people about the institution of marriage in any way. I am a firm believer in this institution and respect and honour it at the highest level.... And once again I thank my fans for all the concern and prayers for my health, my treatment is going well and I should be able to resume my life in every way very soon. Thank you.”

It was few months back during the Ganesh Visarjan puja that the tensed situation between the couple came to the fore as Sussanne wasn’t spotted at the Roshan home.

It mounted up when a few weeks later, she came to attend Roshan senior’s birthday bash from her parents home with their two sons – Hrehaan, 7 and Hridhaan, 5 and made an early exit. Apparently, by then she had already moved to her parents - Sanjay and Zarine Khan’s Juhu home. The final blow came when unlike earlier, Suzanne wasn’t seen in public with Roshan at any of the promotional events of the third installment of Krissh.