Gwyneth Paltrow desperately tried to convince her friend Madonna to save her marriage to Guy Ritchie.

The Hollywood actress, who has been close pals with the pop superstar for a number of years, spent months urging the singer to try and make the relationship work for the sake of their children.

Madonna and baseball player Alex Rodriguez are "definitely romantic," according to friends of the pair.

The 50-year-old singer - who announced she and husband Guy Ritchie are getting divorced yesterday - and the sportsman have reportedly been meeting secretly and are keen to pursue their relationship.

Guy Ritchie has branded Madonna "obsessed", saying "the laughs in our life together were long gone," as their divorce proceedings begin.

Madonna and Guy, whose nearly eight-year marriage came to an end Wednesday, are set to divorce by Christmas.

Madonna has confirmed she and husband Guy Ritchie are to divorce.

Reports surfaced today the couple were heading for a legal separation and now the 50-year-old singer's spokesperson Liz Rosenberg has validated the rumors.

Madonna and Guy Ritchie are set to divorce. The couple are set to imminently announce they are separating, and reportedly want their divorce to be finalised by Christmas - which would be their eighth wedding anniversary.

A source told Britain's The Sun newspaper: "It's very sad. They were a great couple and brilliant parents. They just couldn't live together any more.

Madonna has been forbidden from cutting her hair by husband Guy Ritchie. The 50-year-old singer - who has been sporting long blonde locks on her current "Sticky and Sweet" tour - is desperate for a radical new style, but Guy is less than thrilled with the idea.

She told Fox News: "I want to have shorter hair, but I have a husband that loves the long-haired look and, well, that is just one of the things I do for him."