In a post-holiday week that has seen several announcements of celebrity couplings, singer John Mellencamp and his wife Elaine have decided to do the opposite and separate.

"John and Elaine Mellencamp are proud of their 20 years together and are very happy with their accomplishments both as parents and as a family. They will continue to raise their two children in Indiana but have decided to call it a day as a couple," their spokesman said in a statement on Thursday.