Hollywood A-list couple Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner announce their divorce

LOS ANGELES - Oscar-winning actor/director Ben Affleck and his actress wife Jennifer Garner - one of Hollywood's A-list power couples - announced the end of their 10-year marriage on Tuesday, ending months of rumours.

"After much thought and careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to divorce," said a joint statement by the couple, who have three children together.

"We go forward with love and friendship for one another and a commitment to co-parenting our children whose privacy we ask to be respected during this difficult time," they added.

The 42-year-old Affleck and 43-year-old Garner started dating shortly after meeting on the set of Daredevil in 2003.

They married two years later in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Their three children are Violet, nine; Seraphina, six; and three-year-old Samuel.

Their 10th wedding anniversary was on Monday, according to celebrity bible People magazine.

Celebrity news website TMZ reported that, although they will file for divorce, it won't be done immediately.

The split was described as "amicable" and the former couple will share joint custody of their children.

They will work things through with a mediator and business managers, filing divorce papers only once property and custody issues are resolved, the report said, citing unidentified sources.

Affleck, who won best screenplay Oscar for 1997's Good Will Hunting and best picture Academy Award for Argo in 2013, stars as Batman in the upcoming Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice movie.

Garner, known for movies including Oscar-winning Dallas Buyers Club and 2007's Juno, won a Golden Globe for best TV drama actress in 2002 for the series Alias.

Affleck has only been married once, but former high-profile partners have included Gwyneth Paltrow and Jennifer Lopez - the couple were known as Bennifer.

In a 2014 interview cited by People, Garner described their marriage as in a "mindful" stage.

"You can't expect to be courted all the time, and I don't want to court him right now - I don't have the energy," she told InStyle.

"But we're definitely in a very mindful place where we're making an effort to be together, do things at the same time, and be loving," she said.

On Tuesday, he and Garner pleaded for privacy.

"This will be our only comment on this private, family matter. Thank you for understanding," they said.