MUMBAI: Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Naga Chaitanya on Saturday announced their separation on social media after four years of marriage. They announced their separation in a joint statement penned to their fans on Instagram. They asked for privacy and support during these difficult times. Samantha and Chaitanya maintained that they will always ‘hold a special bond’ between them. The statement read, “To all our well-wishers. After much deliberation and thought Chay and I have decided to part ways as husband and wife to pursue our own paths. We are fortunate to have a friendship of over a decade that was the very core of our relationship which we believe will always hold a special bond between us. We request our fans, well-wishers and the media to support us during this difficult time and give us the privacy we need to move on. Thanking you for your support.” The star couple had tied the knot on 7 October 2017. Samantha will next be seen in Gunasekhar’s mythical film ‘Shaakuntalam’ and Chaitanya in ‘Laal Singh Chaddha’.