Sadie Frost to divorce Jude Law

Sadie Frost and Jude Law regularly hit headlines

Actress Sadie Frost has begun to divorce her Oscar-nominated husband Jude Law.

The couple split up at the start of the year after more than five years of marriage, and divorce had been widely expected.

A statement released on her behalf on Thursday cited Law's "unreasonable behaviour".

Frost said she wanted to make the process as painless as possible for the sake of their three children.

I have come very reluctantly to the decision that my marriage to Jude is over Sadie Frost

Frost also has a son from her first marriage, to former chart star Gary Kemp.

The couple, who married in 1996, have three children - son Rafferty aged seven, Iris, three, and nine-month-old Rudy.

Law, 30, has carved a successful Hollywood career, appearing in films such as Steven Spielberg's AI, Sam Mendes' Road to Perdition and Stalingrad drama Enemy at the Gates.

Earlier this year he denied allegations he was having an affair with his Cold Mountain co-star Nicole Kidman, calling them " malicious" and "libellous".

The allegations came amidst reports he and Frost were having marital difficulties.

In the statement Frost said: "I have come very reluctantly to the decision that my marriage to Jude is over.

"We have agreed that a divorce is the only way forward but we have equally agreed that we will do everything in our power to make certain that this is as painless a process as possible for the benefit of the children.

"They are our number one priority and have always been so and will remain so."

The statement added that no further comment would be made.