Darren Hayes has announced his separation from husband Richard Cullen (Picture: Instagram/darrenhayes)

Savage Garden frontman Darren Hayes has announced that he has split from his husband Richard Cullen after 17 years of marriage.

Chart-topper Darren, 50, shared the news with his fans and followers on Instagram on Wednesday night.

He revealed that he and British artist and director Richard, 52, had separated earlier this year and been ‘supporting each other emotionally’ throughout the ‘massive’ change in their lives.

The Truly Madly Deeply singer began his post by explaining he was ‘an open book when it comes to my music and lyrics but an intensely private person what it comes to my home and family life’.

However, he admitted that he ‘felt the need to be honest to those who have always cared for my inner world about what’s been going on in my private life these past two years’.

‘After 17 years of marriage to the best person I ever met, Richard and I have chosen to accept that our union has greatly and beautifully come to rest,’ Darren, who started dating Richard almost 20 years ago, wrote in his post.

The Savage Garden star, L, and the artist first started dating almost 20 years ago (Picture: Facebook)

‘In honour of this realisation, we separated earlier this year and have been supporting each other emotionally throughout this massive changed in our lives.’

Addressing any speculation as to the reasons behind their separation head on, he added: ‘Because people will ask, let me answer the ugly questions to get them out of the way forever – no, there’s no scandal to report, no infidelity, guilty or third party. It’s just life. We adore each other and always will.

‘We view our marriage as our greatest collaboration. Nobody can ever take away what we achieved together. We are still best friends. We always will be.’

The Australian musician then joked: ‘Besides, we have a very cute and needy labradoodle to take care of, and the business of joy to attend to.’

‘Thank you for always supporting our union – and for being so gentle with this delicate thing we made. Love Darren (and Richard),’ he signed off the post, with a nod to his 2009 album This Delicate Thing We’ve Made.

Darren confirmed that he and Richard still ‘adore each other and always will’ (Picture: Instagram/darrenhayes)

Darren also shared the paper crane artwork Richard created for the record alongside his written statement.

The couple first tied the knot in a private marriage ceremony in London in July 2005, before entering into a civil partnership the following June.

Richard and Darren then applied for a marriage licence in California, making things official with a third wedding in July 2013, in support of those fighting for same-sex marriage in the US.

Previously, Darren was married to his childhood sweetheart, make-up artist Colby Taylor from 1994 until their 1998 separation and subsequent divorce in 2000.

Much of the lyrics to Savage Garden’s second and final album Affirmation dealt with the pain of Darren’s divorce.

The singer described himself as ‘an open book’ musically and lyrically, but an ‘intensely private person’ (Picture: Jason Sheldon/Shutterstock)

He later started coming out as gay to friends and to his record label in the early 2000s, and recently opened up to Metro.co.uk about the stress of the press trying to out him at the time

‘I wasn’t mentally able, I didn’t love myself enough then to even withstand the scrutiny that would have come with the public pressure,’ the 50-year-old said.

‘I think there’s a really fundamental misunderstanding about what coming out is,’ Darren went on. ‘In my experience, what I’m starting to really share with the world and educate people about me was that there was a misconception about me – I think people thought I was gay and in the closet.

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‘I was never in the closet. I was really struggling to accept my sexuality and identify who I was. I was married to a woman and I really didn’t want to be gay, which was just a sad thing, you know?

‘I had so much internalised homophobia within myself and when our marriage ended, thankfully I was with such a strong, beautiful, loving person that she could see that, eventually, I was supposed to become the person I am today and she lovingly supported us separating.’

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Darren called their marriage ‘our greatest collaboration’ and shared that they were ‘still best friends’.