Pop megastar Madonna and her British film director husband Guy Ritchie have agreed to divorce, a spokesperson for Madonna told AFP on Wednesday.

"Madonna and Guy Ritchie have agreed to divorce after seven and a half years of marriage, their representatives confirmed today," a spokesperson said in a statement.

"They have both requested that the media maintain respect for their family at this difficult time."

The spokesperson would give no other details.

The confirmation followed a report in Britain's Sun tabloid quoting a source who said Ritchie (40) had pushed for the split.

Madonna, who is in the middle of her "Sticky and Sweet" world tour, married Ritchie in December 2000 in a lavish ceremony at a Scottish castle after meeting at a dinner party given by British rock star Sting.

The couple have an eight-year-old son, Rocco, and a three-year-old son adopted in Malawi, David Banda. Madonna, 50, also has a daughter, 12-year-old Lourdes, by her former fitness trainer Carlos Leon.

In July, Madonna took the rare step of issuing a formal denial of reports linking her to US baseball star Alex Rodriguez, adding in a statement: "My husband and I are not planning on getting a divorce."

But according to The Sun, Ritchie — famous for gangster films including 'Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels' — has become frustrated, seeing her as a "dead weight around his neck" and now wants a divorce to be agreed quickly.

AFP