Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon  answered reports on their separation Thursday night, announcing their separation after six years of marriage.

Speculation that Mariah Carey and her husband Nick Cannon were headed for a split after two kids and six years of marriage has been running rampant. Page Six reported that Carey and Cannon have been living apart for months. The "America's Got Talent" host has been living in hotels and the pop diva lives with their twins Monroe and Moroccan Scott.

Cannon confirmed to The Insider magazine on Thursday "There is trouble in paradise ... we have been living in separate houses for a few months. My main focus is my kids."

Nick Cannon's announcement that he and wife Mariah Carey have been leading separate lives for the last few months took their fans and even the couple's family by surprise.

Nick Cannon's grandmother Marie Cannon was quoted in published reports as saying "I did not know about it. We always stay in touch."

A source told E! News said Carey is devastated. The magazine quoted an insider as saying "She is heartbroken. This has been going on for months. It has a lot to do with Nick's career choices. He does not have to work, but he's been throwing himself into gigs and projects."

According to TMZ. Mariah Carey slapped Cannon with a gag order about their divorce.

A source told "She has tried and tried to get him to stay home more, but he always uses work as an excuse. When she points out that, financially, he does not need to be working as much as he does, it pisses him off and pushes him farther away. He hates when people assume he's living off her money."

"She wants to be in NYC full-time, but he's been wanting to spend more and more time in L.A.," the source said. "If and when they split, she intends to stay in NYC with the kids. She will fight for the kids. She is totally focused on them."