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It was one of the longest Hollywood relationships in recent memory; we thought they were the Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward of our generation, despite the fact that they hadn’t “made it official” by getting a piece of paper that declared them “married.” This week, word hit the news media that after 23 years, Susan Sarandon had split from longtime partner Tim Robbins, with whom she has two children and whom she met on the set of “Bull Durham” (1988). According to the actors’ reps, the separation happened over the summer, but it hit the media this week, just in time for Christmas.
According to ABC News, Sarandon, who is twelve years older (God bless her) than Robbins, had decided not to get married again – having been married (to actor Chris Sarandon, Prince Humperdinck from “The Princess Bride”), she said that she was afraid that marriage would make them take each other for granted:

“I won’t marry because I am too afraid of taking him for granted or him taking me for granted — maybe it will be a good excuse for a party when I am 80,” Sarandon has said in the past.

When such a long public relationship ends, there’s always speculation as to why. ABCNews tells you it’s not because Sarandon, 63, is having a relationship with aspiring filmmaker and ping-pong aficionado Jonathan Bricklin, age 31. Thanks for clearing that up, ABCNews.