Madonna looking for a new Guy

What had long been rumored has finally come to pass: Madonna and filmmaker Guy Ritchie will end their marriage after nearly eight years.

The couple issued a joint statement to that effect on Wednesday.

The statement, issued by Madonna’s publicist Liz Rozenberg, included a request to the media: to “maintain respect for their family at this difficult time.”

The London tabloid Sun responded – tastefully, one might say – by running a front-page headline on Wednesday under the headline: “We’re Divorcing.”

Madonna and Ritchie, director of “Snatch” and “Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels,” married in December 2000 at a Scottish castle. The couple has two children: Rocco, 8, and David Banda, 3, who was adopted from Malawi in 2006.

Madonna also has a 12-year-old daughter, Lourdes, from her relationship with personal trainer Carlos Leon.

The couple is reportedly worth some $525 million, the bulk of that belonging to Madonna. Ritchie has an estimated $35 million fortune. They own homes in London, Los Angeles and New York, and a 1,200-acre retreat in Wiltshire, England.

Madonna was set to perform tonight in Boston as her “Sticky and Sweet” tour continues. Ritchie’s latest movie, “RocknRolla,” recently opened to mixed reviews.

They’ve come a long way, baby

Scores of A-listers turned out on Tuesday to see Demi Moore, Courteney Cox and screenwriter Kirsten “Kiwi” Smith make their directorial debuts.

Jennifer Aniston, Lucy Liu, Sheryl Crow, Kirsten Dunst, Sacha Baron Cohen, Ashton Kutcher and David Arquette were among the stars who gathered at the Directors Guild headquarters for Glamour magazine’s annual Reel Moments event, where Moore, Cox and Smith each showed a short film based on stories by Glamour readers.

And it’s not even an action flick

The French burn cars, too. That, at least, is why the movie “From Paris With Love,” which co-stars John Travolta and Jonathan Rhys Meyers, temporarily shut down production in Paris. Seems that unknown assailants had torched 10 cars being used in the flick.

Dad’s turning over in the grave

Christopher Buckley, the son of the late William F. Buckley, says he is leaving the National Review, the famed conservative journal founded by his father. Why? Buckley says he decided to quit because of pressure from fellow Republicans furious that he has endorsed Democrat Barack Obama.

Buckley told NewYorkTimes.com that since his endorsement, he had “been effectively fatwahed by the conservative movement” and that he’s been inundated with hate mail.

The birthday bunch

Actress Angela Lansbury is 83. Actor Barry Corbin (“Northern Exposure”) is 68. Actress Suzanne Somers is 62. Guitarist Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead is 61. Actor-director Tim Robbins is 50. Guitarist Gary Kemp (Spandau Ballet) is 49. Bassist Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers is 46. Singer Wendy Wilson (Wilson Phillips) is 39. Actress Kellie Martin (“Life Goes On”) is 33. Singer-songwriter John Mayer is 31. Actress Brea Grant (“Heroes”) is 27.