Savage Garden’s Darren Hayes divorces husband Richard Cullen after 17 years

Darren Hayes of Australian pop duo Savage Garden and husband Richard Cullen are officially divorcing.

The pair announced their separation in May after 17 years of marriage together.

Hayes filed for divorce from Cullen in Los Angeles on Monday (18 September).

He cited “irreconcilable differences” for the separation in documents reportedly obtained by TMZ.

The 51-year-old ‘Truly Madly Deeply’ singer-songwriter shared the split with Cullen in a now-deleted Instagram post.

“We are still best friends. We always will be”

“After 17 years of marriage to the best person I have ever met, Richard and I have chosen to accept that our union has gently and beautifully come to rest,” wrote Hayes in May. 

Addressing the reason behind their split, Hayes also wrote: “There’s no scandal to report, no infidelity, guilty or third party.”

“We are still best friends. We always will be,” Hayes concluded. “Besides – we have a very cute and needy labradoodle to take care of – and the business of joy to attend to.”

Hayes and Cullen had their first ceremony in 2005 and entered a civil partnership the year after.

In 2013, they applied for a marriage licence in California, and were married on 15 July, 2013, to show support for those fighting for same-sex marriage.

Recently, Hayes also announced that he is releasing a memoir. The book is set to be released in late 2024.

The memoir is set to see Hayes “reflecting on his life story.”

“I’ve been secretly telling stories about my life, through my music, since the very first Savage Garden single,” he also explained.

“The reality of my life was much more complicated than the constraints of a 3 minute radio song would allow.

“Almost 30 years later I feel free for the first time in my life,” he said about releasing what seems to be a deeply personal memoir.