“Sex and the City” creator Candace Bushnell and her husband of nine years, ballet dancer Charles Askegard, have filed for divorce, Page Six can exclusively reveal.
The fiercely independent sex columnist behind Carrie Bradshaw filed papers on Friday, just months after Askegard spun his final pirouette at the New York City Ballet. He left the company after 24 years to form his own troupe, Ballet Next.
Confirming the divorce, Bushnell told us through her rep: “We had some wonderful times in our nine-year marriage, and I still care about Charles as a person. I respect his desire to pursue his own happiness and hope that we will continue to be friends in the future.”
Eyebrows were raised when Bushnell, who hosted a going-away party for Askegard when he retired in September, was noticeably missing from his opening performance at The Joyce for his new venture on Nov. 23.
“This has been coming for a long time,” a friend told us. “They have been living increasingly separate lives. Candace has been spending more and more time in the country at her house in Connecticut, while Charles has been in the city working. He has been going through a huge career transition.”
Another friend said, “This is very painful for both of them, and Candace is very hurt and sad.”
When Bushnell, 53, married Askegard, 10 years her junior, in 2002, friends were shocked to see the social butterfly — who compared her first engagement to drowning — tie the knot. “Candace Bushnell gets married — it’s like Johnny Carson retiring,’’ longtime friend Jay McInerney said of her wedding at the time.
Askegard said in October that Bushnell supported his decision to leave the company.
“They remain good friends, their relationship is amicable, and they’re working through it,” a friend said.
Askegard told us Friday: “This is a difficult time for me. Although we have sadly grown apart, I will always respect and care about Candace and appreciate the time we spent together.”