Zach Gilford and Kiele Sanchez, who shared a long marriage and starred as an on-screen couple in Criminal Minds, are going their separate ways after over a decade of marriage. The couple, who tied the knot in December 2012, has decided to divorce, citing irreconcilable differences. The official documents were filed on Friday, though the date of separation remains unspecified.
Gilford, known for his role as Elias Voit in Criminal Minds and previously as Matt Saracen in Friday Night Lights, and Sanchez, who is recognized for her role in Lost, have two children together — a son, Zeppelin, 7, and a daughter, Revel, 4. According to the divorce filing, Gilford has requested joint legal custody of the children and will be paying spousal support to Sanchez, although no information about a prenuptial agreement has been disclosed.
The couple’s relationship mirrored their Criminal Minds characters, as they played married spouses on the show. Gilford previously shared how challenging it was to film dark scenes with Sanchez, especially in violent or intense moments. He noted that it was harder to engage in those scenes because of the real-life connection, explaining, “I don’t want to hold a gun to my wife’s head.”
Their marriage, which lasted 12 years, now comes to an end, but both continue to focus on their acting careers.
