Esther Lee

Philly.com

It's true: Kardashian matriarch Kris Jenner and former Olympian Bruce Jenner have separated after 22 years of marriage. 

After months of swirling rumors over their alleged marital troubles and an evident schism in lifestyles chronicled on their hit reality series, Keeping Up With the Kardashians, the pair confirmed to E!  News Tuesday that they are in fact, separated. 

"We are living separately and we are much happier this way," the couple said to the network that broadcasts their show. " But we will always have much love and respect for each other.  Even though we are separated, we will always remain best friends and, as always, our family will remain our number one priority," they added. 

In an upcoming cover story interview with Us Weekly, Kris shares, "We ended a marriage, but that's not the end of our friendship."  She continued, "I will always love him, but we are longer a couple in that way." 

Bruce, meanwhile, was snapped golfing near the Kardashian family home shortly after the news broke.  TMZ obtained a photo of Jenner and his kids gratuitously giving photographers the one-finger salute. 

Kris, 57, and Bruce, 63, wed in 1991, less than a year after being introduced through a blind date. 

They have two teenage daughters together- Kylie, 16, and Kendall, 17. 

Bruce has two sons, Brandon, 32, and Brody, 30, from his previous marriage to Linda Thompson, and two additional children, Burt and Casey, with first wife Chrystie Crownover.  Kris has three daughters, Kourtney, 34, Kim, 32, and Khloe, 29, and one son, Rob, 26, from her previous marriage to the late Robert Kardashian. 

The split provides additional insight as to why, in recent episodes of Keeping Up, Jenner left his Calabasas, Calif. home with his daughters for Malibu.  The show, however, made it seem as if the Kardashian household had simply become too crowded after Kris opened it up to her daughter, newborn grandchild and Kanye West. 

Jenner was quoted as saying he needed "more space." 

Meanwhile, a source tells People magazine, "Bruce just wanted some peace and simplicity in their lives.  They've become far from it.  It's not that he doesn't appreciate what they have [in terms of money], but he didn't feel the need to always have more, like Kris did." 

On Wednesday, the day after the news of the split made entertainment headlines worldwide, Rob Kardashian shared with Entertainment Tonight, "[Bruce has] been in my life since I was 2 years old and that will never change, and same obviously with my mom … same with my sisters, there's no bad blood." 

Bruce's son, Brody, addressed his father and stepmother's alleged marriage woes in September with NOW magazine, confirming then that his dad no longer lives with his wife: “I stay out of their business, but as far as I’m concerned, they haven’t split up," he said. 

"Dad’s been in Malibu — he grew up out here — and the press has made a big deal of it.  It’s nothing to do with them breaking up." 

Kris' daughter, Khloe Kardashian, meanwhile, told Jay Leno earlier this summer, "They're not having problems, but they still like to live apart, which is definitely different.  You know, Bruce and my mom, they wanted some..."