After nine years in a committed relationship, actress Charlize Theron and actor Stuart Townsend have reportedly broken up. On January 22, Charlize first sparked rumors of the separation when she was seen at the Hope For Haiti telethon not wearing her “commitment ring” that Townsend had given her. The Victorian ring was also missing from Theron’s finger during a birthday dinner for the actress’s mother.

Theron and Townsend met on the set of their movie “Trapped” in 2001. A friend of Theron’s reports that the Oscar-winning actress realized that she and Townsend had become “more like brother and sister then lovers” and initiated the split after a vacation in Mexico that took place over the holidays.

Theron and Townsend never married. The pair are now said to be living separate lives, with Theron staying in their Hollywood Hills home while Townsend has moved into the couple’s Malibu Beach home. Tabloid sources are saying that the relationship simply ran its course and there are no scandalous reasons for the break up. Townsend is said to be “gutted” and “heartbroken”. Theron is keeping busy with her acting. Her latest movie, “The Ice at the Bottom of the World”, is still in production.