Former vice president Al Gore and his wife, Tipper Gore, are separating after 40 years of marriage.

Al and Tipper Gore lock lips at the 2000 Democratic National Convention.

More PhotosIn an email to friends today entitled "Email from Al and Tipper Gore," the couple said: "We are announcing today that after a great deal of thought and discussion, we have decided to separate. "This is very much a mutual and mutually supportive decision that we have made together following a process of long and careful consideration. We ask for respect for our privacy and that of our family, and we do not intend to comment further."

The e-mail, which was first reported by Politico, was confirmed for ABC News by Gore spokesperson Kalee Kreider.

Kreider would not go beyond the text of the e-mail in explaining the reason for the separation.

This spring the Gores reportedly purchased an $8.9 million home in tony Montecito, Calif ., home to notable residents like Oprah Winfrey , actors Michael Douglas and Christopher Lloyd, and golfer Fred Couples.