The best-selling author separates from his wife Cathy, who inspired many of his novels.
- Jan 7, 2015
AceShowbiz - Nicholas Sparks, author of "The Notebook" and 16 other romantic novels including "Message in a Bottle" and "The Wedding", has split from Cathy, his wife of 25 years. "Cathy and I have separated. This is, of course, not a decision we've made lightly. We remain close friends with deep respect for each other and love for our children. For our children's sake, we regard this as a private matter," he said.
The divorce drew negative comments on Twitter. Many fans expressed their disappointment and wondered how Sparks' love story didn't last like any of those in his novels. "I might have lost all faith in romance in this very moment upon hearing that Nicholas Sparks recently got a divorce," a fan wrote. "Nicholas Sparks and his wife got a divorce. Like what? If you can write about great love then you should be able to show it," another fan commented.
Sparks and his wife, who tied the knot in 1989, have sons Miles, Ryan, and Landon, and twin daughters Lexie and Savannah. Sparks is the king of love stories, but he told PEOPLE in 2003 that he didn't like giving "marriage tips." "There are people who are probably much better at marriage than I am - they've lasted a lot longer. I could probably learn from them," he said.
The author admitted that female characters in his novels were inspired by his wife. He said, "I married a woman who loves a lot. Certainly every female character I've ever crafted is a lot like my wife. They're intelligent and loyal, they're funny. And most of all, they're not wishy-washy women. They're good, solid women."
"The Notebook", "Dear John" and "The Lucky One" are some of his novels which have been turned into movies.
