Famous "Iron Chef" Cat Cora recently announced in a joint statement that she and wife Jennifer Cora are divorcing after two years of marriage and 17 years of being in a long-term domestic partnership with four children together.

Cat and Jennifer shocked everyone when they announced that they no longer choose to be together in a joint statement obtained by People magazine. "It is with great sadness, that after 17 years, a tremendous amount work, careful consideration and heavy hearts, my wife and I have mutually decided to no longer remain married," the estranged couple said.

"In love, there is a season, a reason and a lifetime," they added. However, despite the divorce, Cat and Jennifer have shared that they are still committed to parenting their four sons.

"Although this is not what we ever imagined, we will always have four incredible reasons to celebrate our years together: our sons," the TV chef. "We are forever parents to our boys and are jointly committed to raising them in a peaceful, nurturing and healthy environment."

Meanwhile, TMZ reports that the divorce is also leading to a custody battle between the former married couple as they are rumored to have both filed individual divorce papers including Jennifer's request to have full physical custody of their four sons.

However, Cat is reportedly asking for joint custody for their sons namely Zoran, 11, Caje, eight, Thatcher, and Nash, six, Daily mail reports. The former married couple previously turned heads when they decided to carry their own children during their IVF journey.

Jennifer carried and gave birth to Zoran, Caje and Thatcher while Cat carried Nash. Both used the same sperm donor and implanted it in each other's eggs. In a 2010 interview with Working Mother, the duo revealed their unusual pregnancy plans. "The doctor implanted Jennifer and me with each other's eggs," Cat previously revealed. "So she gave birth to Caje, but he's my biological child. I carried Nash, but he's Jennifer's biological child."

Furthermore, the duo expressed how it was easier to carry their children in almost the same period of time between Nash and Thatcher, who are just three months apart, so one mother can breastfeed whichever child when one mother is away.

Both also reportedly had to legally adopt their children as they are a same-sex couple, which had the law requiring them to do so, People reports.