- Zooey Deschanel is splitting up with Jacob Pechenik, her husband of four years.
- “After much discussion and a long period of contemplation we have decided we are better off as friends, business partners and co-parents rather than life partners,” the couple told CNN.
- The “New Girl” star and Hello Giggles cofounder met the fintech entrepreneur turned movie producer on the set of “Rock the Kasbah” in 2015.
- The pair have two children and run two companies together: The Farm Project and Lettuce Grow.
- Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.
Television star and entrepreneur Zooey Deschanel is splitting up with Jacob Pechenik, a fintech entrepreneur turned Hollywood producer who she married in 2015.
“After much discussion and a long period of contemplation we have decided we are better off as friends, business partners and co-parents rather than life partners,” the couple said in a statement to CNN. “We remain committed to our business, our values and most of all our children. Thank you for respecting our privacy at this time.”
Deschanel starred in “New Girl,” a Fox comedy that ran for seven seasons. She also cofounded Hello Giggles, a women-focused website acquired by Time Inc for about $30 million in 2015.
Pechenik cofounded and served as president of YellowJacket Software, a fintech firm acquired by Intercontinental Exchange in 2008. Before that he founded and led TechTrader, an enterprise software company.
Since making his fortune, Pechenik has produced more than a dozen movies including "Solace" starring Sir Anthony Hopkins and "The Skeleton Twins" starring Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader.
Deschanel and Pechenik tied the knot after meeting on the set of "Rock the Kasbah," a Bill Murray comedy that she acted in and he produced. They have two children, Elsie Otter Pechenik and Charlie Wolf Pechenik.
The pair run two food-focused companies together: The Farm Project, which aims to reconnect people with their food and local farmers, and Lettuce Grow, which equips people with the tools and guidance to grow their own fruits and vegetables.
Deschanel - whose movie credits include "500 Days of Summer" and "Elf," - was previously married to Ben Gibbard, the lead singer of Death Cab For Cutie, an indie rock band.