Hollywood actress Ashley Judd and husband Dario Franchitti are splitting up after just over 10 years of marriage, according to Us Weekly.
"We have mutually decided to end our marriage. We'll always be family and continue to cherish our relationship based on the special love, integrity, and respect we have always enjoyed," a rep for the couple tells Us.
Judd, who is a well-known actress and a prominent Kentucky Wildcats basketball fan, married the three-time Indy 500 champion in Scotland on Dec. 12, 2001. According to Yahoo.com, Judd, 44, and Franchitti, 39, do not have any children together. The couple was engaged for two years prior to getting married, Judd's sister Wynonna served as her maid of honor.
Judd is one of the most prominent Kentucky Wildcats fans in the nation and frequently can be seen in stands at games and participated in the celebration of Kentucky's 1998 national championship. She also cheered on the team when they defeated Kansas last season to win their first title under coach John Calipari.
Judd has deep roots in Kentucky and can date back her family eight generations in the state. She has starred in numbers projects on film and television in her career, including "Kiss the Girls," "Double Jeopardy," "High Crimes" and the television series "Missing," for which she was nominated for an Emmy last year.
Judd has been in the news over the past few months regarding the possibility of her running for a Senate seat in her home state of Kentucky. While the move at first appeared unlikely, the actress recently said she was "taking a close look" at a possible Senate bid.
"The people of Kentucky need a fighter," Judd said to the Louisville Courier-Journal. "And certainly going back 10 generations, I've got some fighters from those hills in my family."
The Senate seat Judd would likely go for is against Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who has been in office since 1985, which is the longest in state history. He has been the top Republican in the Senate since 2007 and will be up for reelection in 2014, which would be the opening for Judd. McConnell is staunchly Republican and is opposed to anything President Obama does.
Ashley has yet to decide about running for the United States Senate," Judd spokeswoman Cara Tripicchio told Politico last month. "She is honored by the incredible encouragement from her fellow Kentuckians and the national interest, including Senator McConnell."
The news first came about last year when rumors about Judd meeting with Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Rep. John Yarmuth (D-Ky) about running. It also was reported that she consulted with Democratic pollsters and started opposition research, according to "four people familiar with the matter."
Judd released a statement last month addressing the rumors at the time, saying:
"I cherish Kentucky, heart and soul, and while I'm very honored by the consideration, we have just finished an election, so let's focus on coming together to keep moving America's families, and especially our kids, forward," Judd said, according to the Huffington Post.
The split from her husband could have been about a conflict on whether she will run or not, but only time will tell on that issue. Originally born in California, Judd grew up in Ashland and attended the University of Kentucky, where she received a degree in French. She also did graduate work at the Harvard where she received a Mid-Career Master in Public Administration degree in 2010.
She has been involved in politics and philanthropy through he career and she supported President Barack Obama for re-election. Judd has also been involved in political activities and humanitarian work for many years, including being a global ambassador for YouthAIDS and traveling around the world to help children in countries in Africa.
Judd currently lives in Tennessee, so she would need to move back to Kentucky to re-establish residence if she wants to run for the Senate
"I don't think there's any possibility of that happening," said Polly Judd, the 85-year-old grandmother of Ashley and her singer sister, Wynonna, according to the Associated Press. "I think Mitch has done more for Ashland than anybody else who has been in there. That means a lot. He's been here personally, and we don't always get that from politicians who represent us."
If Judd did decide to throw her hat in the race, it would not be the first time someone from Hollywood tried to get into politics. Former SNL writer Al Franken was elected to the Senate in Minnesota in the 2008 election after defeating incumbent Republican Senator Norm Coleman.
