KIMORA LEE SIMMONS AND DJIMON HOUNSOU ANNOUNCE SEPARATION

*On Thanksgiving eve we have sad, but not quite unexpected news about a Hollywood couple.

After months of breakup reports, Kimora Lee Simmons and Djimon Hounsou, who have a 3-year-old son named Kenzo, announced on Wednesday they have officially separated after more than five years together as a couple. Their statement, released by the "Amistad" actor's rep, makes it clear that the two never married. Although Simmons, 37, and Hounsou, 48, exchanged vows in West Africa in summer 2008, they never filed for a marriage license in the U.S. because at the time she was still wed to Russell Simmons.

"There have been quite a few hurtful rumors circulating," Simmons tweeted on Wednesday. "The truth is Djimon+I have been separated for some time. We have remained happy, loving, co-parenting friends+family. We all have much to be thankful for," she added.

Split rumors have been plaguing the reality star, 37, and Hounsou, 48, who have a 3-year-old son Kenzo, since June 2011. But just this past June, the New York Daily News reported that the couple had finally called it quits after a "big fight about money." According to a source, Simmons' ex-husband, hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons, was planning on cutting back on the amount of money he was giving her following their divorce (the Simmons have daughters Ming, 12, and Aoki, 10) and after the argument about it, "Djimon walked out on Kimora."

After learning that Simmons and Hounsou had gone their separate ways, a fan tweeted to Simmons on Wednesday that the news made them question the value of marriage. Still, the fashionista was quick to defend her decision: "It means I am like u. We do the best we can."