Blair Underwood and Desiree DaCosta Split After 27 Years of Marriage: 'A Beautiful Journey'

Blair Underwood and wife Desiree DaCosta

Blair Underwood and his wife Desiree DaCosta are calling it quits.

The actor, 56, and DaCosta shared a joint statement to Instagram Sunday to announce that they are splitting after 27 years of marriage. The exes share sons Paris, 24, and Blake, 19, and daughter Brielle, 22.

"After a tremendous amount of thought, prayer & work on ourselves individually & collectively, we have come to the conclusion to end our marriage that began 27 years ago," the statement began.

"It has truly been a beautiful journey," Underwood and DaCosta continued. "Our proudest achievements are our three incredible children. Three souls to which God entrusted us. We continue to be awed & humbled by the blessings of parenting. We have always put their best interests first & will continue to do so. We will continue to be the best of friends and co-parents and have the utmost respect for one another as we embark upon this new chapter of our lives, separately."

The exes concluded their statement saying, "We thank you all for your support throughout the years & we humbly ask for privacy & understanding during this new season of change."

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Underwood previously spoke highly about his relationship with DaCosta in a 2008 interview with Oprah.com, during which he reflected on watching his dad serve as the breadwinner to his mom while growing up.

"I wanted to be her rock, her protector," the L.A. Law actor said of DaCosta. "If she had a problem, I wanted to solve it. I thought that's what was expected of me."

Michael Tullberg/Getty Images Desiree and Blair

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But Underwood said that thanks to DaCosta, he eventually learned that he didn't need to fix all of her problems, but merely support her when she needed him by her side.

"I was relieved as well; she didn't expect me to always have an answer for her," he said. "She wasn't coming to me for a repair. She just needed a shoulder to cry on."