Kim and Barry Plath have officially announced they are ending their marriage.

Welcome to Plathville viewers have watched this season as the longtime couple grew apart — and eventually began living apart from one another.

Now it’s confirmed: the TLC leads are splitting up after 24 years of marriage. The two announced the sad news to People in a post published Tuesday evening, saying in a joint statement: 

“After considerable thought and discussion, we have decided to end our marriage. While this was not an easy decision, we know it’s the best choice for both of us. We have been through many highs and lows in our 24 years of marriage and as we navigate this new chapter in our lives, we will co-parent our amazing children.”

Wow, 24 years together is a really long time to suddenly decide on a split. But how mutual was the decision?

54-year-old Barry revealed in a preview for Tuesday’s episode: 

“I can’t help but feel a little betrayed. One thing I thought wouldn’t ever be shaken was us. Now it’s totally shaken up. It’s just really sad. It’s a tragedy.”

He added:

“I look at her and I see a woman who feels trapped. I have bought flowers and bought presents, but I’m still an optimist hoping that she’ll change.”

Ugh our hearts go out to him. He clearly still loves her and doesn’t want their marriage to end, but flowers and presents can’t fix things that are broken — they can’t make someone happy… And for Kim, that seems to be what she’s missing, as she explained to Barry: 

“I just feel like I’ve been hurt too much.”

That’s definitely enough to make anyone reconsider their relationship…

She also posed the question to Barry, who asked why she was being “selfish” about the decision: 

“Do you want me to stay knowing that I’m not happy?”

Oof, what a question…

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It’s also of note that the two share a whopping 10 children together, including Ethan, Moriah, Hosanna, Micah, Lydia, Isaac, Amber, Cassia, Mercy, and Joshua, who died at 17 months. At least it sounds like they are putting their children first to continue being there for them through it all!

But we’re sure the kids still have their own thoughts on the split — specifically 19-year-old Moriah who spoke with People in June about her parents’ relationship, explaining:

“I’ve known for months before anything actually happened, months before they actually decided to separate. I knew that they were struggling.”

It seems like the split may have been inevitable if even the children were able to notice the marital issues for a while before the official announcement.

Moriah added: 

“At the end of the day, I just want her and my dad to be happy. It’s really hard because they both want different things, so it’s hard watching. I want my dad to be happy, but this is tearing him apart, but my mom’s not going to be happy with my dad. ​​So it’s just – I don’t know, people change. Things fall apart sometimes. You just got to be able to be there for yourself at the end of the day.”

So, so sad. We really hope Moriah and her siblings are doing okay. At least they have each other to lean on for support!

What do YOU think of the split, Perezcious readers? Are you team Barry or team Kim? Are they just better off apart? Let us know in the comments (below)!

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