U.S. pop star Madonna and Guy Ritchie ended eight years of marriage on Friday (November 21) when a British court granted them a "quickie" divorce. Neither Madonna nor British film director Ritchie were in court for the hearing. The couple announced the split last month, nearly eight years after their fairytale wedding at Skibo Castle in Scotland.

A sworn statement released by the court showed that Madonna petitioned for divorce on the grounds of Ritchie's unreasonable behavior. In another court document, district judge Philip Waller said he was happy that the court did not need to exercise its powers under the Children Act nor give directions under the Matrimonial Causes Act.

Details of the terms of the divorce have not been made public, although several newspapers said Ritchie would not be seeking a share of Madonna's money. A source close to the singer said the deal was not as straightforward as reports suggest. Their combined wealth has been estimated at around $525 million, but Madonna accounts for the bulk of it. Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone was born in Bay City, Michigan on August 16, 1958, into a large Italian-Catholic family.

She went on to become one of the most successful singers of all time with estimated album sales of more than 200 million and is in the middle of her "Sticky & Sweet" world tour. Ritchie is a British film director who is making Hollywood blockbuster "Sherlock Holmes" starring Robert Downey Jr. as the Victorian-era super sleuth.