Sam Claflin has split from his wife Laura Haddock.

The 33-year-old actor married Laura - with whom he has three-year-old son Pip and 19-month-old daughter Margot - in 2013, but after six years of marriage, the couple have announced their decision to ''legally separate''.

Sam wrote on his Instagram Story on Monday (19.08.19): ''Laura and I have decided to legally separate. We will move forward with nothing but love, friendship and a deep respect for one another, whilst we continue to raise our family together.

''We won't be commenting on this further. Thank you in advance for your support and respecting our privacy at this time.

''Both of us x. (sic)''

The shock split comes after Sam said last year he believed it was fate that brought him together with Laura, also 33, after they met in serendipitous circumstances while he was auditioning for a role in the 2011 drama 'My Week with Marilyn'.

Sam - who was auditioning for the role of Colin Clark, which was ultimately handed to Eddie Redmayne - recalled: ''It was an audition ... I'll still never forgive Eddie Redmayne for stealing the part. But I did meet my wife, so I can't complain.

''It was for the film 'My Week with Marilyn' and it was like my fourth recall, I was always reading with the same girl, same girl ... and this one time, this one particular recall, my now-wife was sat there. Beautiful. I mean, honestly, Hollywood ... stunning.''

Despite not even knowing her name, Sam immediately fell in love with Laura, who has starred in the 'Guardians of the Galaxy' franchise and as Kacie Carter in 'Honest'.

The 'Hunger Games' star explained: ''I, in that moment, knew that I wanted to marry her and I called my agent and told him, 'That's the woman I'm going to marry.' He said, 'No, how did the audition go?' I was like, 'No no , you don't understand. This is fate.' I didn't even remember her name at the time. I do now.''