I had Natalie Imbruglia’s song “Torn” stuck in my head for most of 1998, which has led to an unfair dislike of her. Similar dislikes have been applied to George Harrison and MC Hammer for the same reason. Imbruglia, 32, hasn’t ever been able to reproduce her late-nineties success, but managed to get several mascara-based makeup contracts, thanks to her lovely eyelashes. I think that’s about all she’s had going for her in America, but she’s managed to stay on the radar in her native Australia. In 1999 she met Silverchair frontman Daniel Johns, 28, at the ARIA awards, and the two were married four years later on New Year’s Eve. Now the pair has announced they’ve split, much to the dismay of their friends and family.

Friends of Natalie Imbruglia and Daniel Johns are shocked by the couple’s split, days after the stars looked happy together on an Australian Christmas break. On Boxing Day, they were pictured holding hands and smiling after a dinner with friends at a restaurant in The Rocks. The next day, Imbruglia was seen outside her home, carrying a bottle of wine and wearing her wedding ring, with Johns, 28, by her side.

But only a week later, Australia’s hottest music pairing had called it quits. The marriage lasted four years. One friend said yesterday the speed of the breakdown in the relationship was still a shock.

“They always looked so great together,” the friend said.

[From the Herald Sun]

The pair released an official statement, which blamed the dissolution of their marriage on their career demands. It probably doesn’t help that they reside halfway around the world from each other, Imbruglia in England, and Johns in Australia.

“While we are very sad that our marriage has ended, we want to make it clear that our parting is amicable, and we remain friends,” they said. “This mutual decision has not been taken lightly or quickly.

“However, our career demands and our lives in different parts of the world have brought us to the point where unfortunately this difficult decision was necessary for both of us. We have simply grown apart through not being able to spend enough time together.”

[From E! News]

Daniel Johns made headlines in 1999 when he told Rolling Stone that he had anorexia. It was a rare admission for a male celebrity, but one that brought him a lot of positive support for sharing his struggle. He made the admission after he dropped to 110 lbs and rumors began to swirl that he had a drug problem. Johns also struggled with depression and has gone through reclusive periods where he’s barely left his home. It’s obviously not possible to say if any of his old issues resurfaced – few marriages could withstand living on different continents.

Picture note by Jaybird: Header image of Natalie Imbruglia and Daniel Johns talking a walk around London’s Covent Garden on August 26th, 2007. Images thanks to Splash Photos.