Celebrity chefs The Neelys divorcing after 20 years

Gina and Pat Neely, who earned fame cooking Southern meals on The Food Network’s “Down Home with The Neelys” are going separate ways after almost two decades together.

“Today we announce that we are ending our marriage of 20 years for irreconcilable differences,” they said in a joint statement published on The Root. “This was a tough decision, but we believe it is the best decision for us. As parents of two beautiful adult daughters that we love dearly, we will continue to be involved in each other’s lives as parents and friends.

“Together we have built a strong brand as The Neely’s,” they continued “Moving forward our focus will be on our individual brands and we are optimistic about our respective futures. We ask for your prayers as we go through this transition and honor our request for privacy at this time.”

The couple just published <em>Back Home with the Neelys: Comfort Food from our Southern Kitchen to Yours, and had shut down their Memphis barbecue joint to focus on other endeavors like opening a barbecue restaurant in New York, Gina Neely’s George Foreman Weight Loss Challenge, a Green Giant line, and a partnership with Family Dollar.

This was a second marriage for both of them, but they originally dated in high school before marrying other people. When they married in 1994 Gina had a daughter, Spenser, from her first marriage who Pat raised as his own. They couple had another daughter, Shelbi.