Sad news: The marriage of superproducer Brian Grazer and novelist/screenwriter/grudging blogger Gigi Levangie, which provided the rich source material for parallel publishing and basic cable miniseries empires, is over (again), reports today's Page Six, a seismic development that is sure to crack the foundations of even the sturdiest of industry unions in sympathy, flooding the local dating scene with newly liberated Hollywood war brides. Publicists and anonymous sources agree that the split, which comes about a year after the couple's trial Cruising of last summer, was a friendly one:

A rep for the couple said, "They remain good friends. This decision was both mutual and amicable, and they plan to share custody of their two children."

Rumors of the split surfaced two weeks ago just as Gigi's new "Starter Wife" debuted on USA. The show stars Debra Messing as a spouse whose powerful studio head husband leaves her for a younger woman, but he eventually begs for a reconciliation.

The heavily promoted miniseries had some in Hollywood wondering if the Grazers' breakup could be a case of life imitating art - but we're assured there are no third parties involved. [...]

"They have been together for a total of 16 years," a pal said. "No one can say they didn't give it their best shot." If they do follow through with a divorce, friends said there will be no hard feelings - they have an iron-clad prenup agreement and both are successful and "make their own money."

The assurance that "no third parties" were involved in the relationship's disintegration is little more than a transparent effort to keep things tidy in the press during a turbulent time, as longtime Imagine collaborator Russell Crowe has brazenly conducted a torrid, public affair with Grazer's beautiful mind for some time. And while the pair say they'll jointly care for their children, it's unclear how they will arrange for the custody of their beloved "Jesus Christ, Hunky Ikea Carpenter of Love" project; hopefully, they'll raise this product of their once-loving union without acrimony, avoiding nasty fights in which Brian threatens to put it in turnaround the first time Gigi conveniently "forgets" to bring by a new draft for his weekend visitation.