Naomi Watts And Liev Schreiber’s Admirable Split: Working Together For Their Kids And Upcoming Joint Film Project

Naomi Watts celebrated her first birthday as a single woman in 11 years, according to Yahoo News. The 48-year-old King Kong actress and her now-ex partner Liev Schreiber announced their separation on the day of Watts’ birthday.

Naomi Watts and the Ray Donovan actor decided to end their relationship after 11 years of being together. And although there has been endless speculation why the lovebirds never got married, apparently it doesn’t matter anymore.

But during their joint announcement, both Naomi Watts and Schreiber said they were calling it quits with “great love, respect, and friendship in our hearts.” So Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are not the only longtime couple who have decided to go their separate ways recently.

Naomi Watts celebrated her 48th birthday recently on the set of upcoming Netflix series called Gypsy. The Impossible actress shared a throwback snap of herself as a baby in a pram, which was for some reason partially submerged in water.

Naomi Watts’ throwback picture even got a comment from her now-ex partner Schreiber, who wished her happy birthday and called her a “Sweetheart.” Shortly afterward, the King Kong actress posted a pic of herself with a few dozen cake pops, which she had received from director Sam Taylor-Johnson.

In the caption to the photo, Naomi Watts said something everybody would agree with.

“Why eat one when you can eat them all.”

Just three days before announcing their split, Schreiber was interviewed by TV Week, and he admitted that being apart from Naomi Watts because of their acting projects had made it tough to make their relationship work.

“To find time for each other and to make time for each other. I think that is what makes a successful relationship.”

But still, the Ray Donovan actor admitted he was “a huge admirer” of her acting talent, and added that Naomi Watts is “a remarkable actress” and “one of the greatest of all time.” Watts has been nominated for two Academy Awards, for 21 Grams in 2003 and for The Impossible in 2012, but lost the two nominations.

While Naomi Watts worked and celebrated her 48th birthday, Schreiber took their boys, nine-year-old Sasha and seven-year-old Samuel, to and back from school on his bike. The former couple gave their joint statement the same day, according to E! Online.

Interestingly, Liev Schreiber’s birthday falls on October 4, just six days after Naomi Watts’ birthday, and six days after the couple announced their split. On his birthday, Watts posted a sweet pic of her former partner with their two children, and the caption “Happy Birthday to this one!!”

In the joint declaration announcing their separation, Naomi Watts and Schreiber admitted that the “best way forward” for them as a family is to go separate ways as a couple.

“It is with great love, respect, and friendship in our hearts that we look forward to raising our children together and exploring this new phase of our relationship.”

But Naomi Watts and Schreiber also asked the media to be “mindful” of their two boys and respect their right to privacy. The two have recently been seen promoting their joint project together, the upcoming sports drama The Bleeder.

THE BLEEDER confirmed it – Liev Schreiber and Naomi Watts = fave Hollywood couple ?? #TIFF16 pic.twitter.com/jKGtq7Z2Xf

— Nigel M. Smith (@nigelmfs) September 13, 2016

With many saying that this film is to blame for Naomi Watts and the actor’s split because working side by side is a great challenge for any relationship, the two actually looked happy while promoting their film during film festivals.

Interestingly, Naomi Watts didn’t show up at the Emmy Awards earlier this month, while Schreiber was there with their son Sasha. In November, Watts will be seen in her new drama thriller Shut In.

Naomi Watts is also filming scenes for The Book of Henry co-starring Jacob Tremblay, Sarah Silverman, and Lee Pace. The film will be released next year and tells the story of a single mother who is raising a genius child.

[Featured Image by RFRF/STAR MAX/IPx/AP Images]