Oscar winning directors Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin are divorcing after 13 years

Oscar winning directors Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin are divorcing after 13 years of marriage. In an exclusive statement to People magazine, the couple said: “After a great deal of care and consideration, we have come to the difficult decision to end our marriage.”

Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin went on to say in their statement that "Over the past 13 years, our lives have been filled with adventure both telling stories that resonate deeply with audiences, and most importantly, being parents to our two wonderful children. As we move forward separately in our personal lives, our children remain at the center of our universe.”

In 2013, The New York Times reported on the couple’s forthcoming marriage and wrote: “Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin are to be married Sunday at Amangani Resort in Jackson, Wyo. Robert S. DesLauriers, a friend of the couple who became a Universal Life minister to perform the ceremony, is to officiate.” The couple share two children together, a daughter Marina and son James.

Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin have a production company, Little Monster Films, the company released a statement which read: "This announcement will not impact the work at LMF including the company’s slate currently in production and post production.” The statement went on to day that"The duo remains committed to their production teams and to honoring the incredible work of so many talented people who have contributed to all their films, past, present and future.”

Filmmakers Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin’s documentary Free Solo won an Academy Award in 2018. In the documentary directed by the couple, Free Solo focused on rock climber Alex Honnold and his quest to perform the first-ever free solo climb of a route on El Capitan in Yosemite National Park in California, which took place back in June 2017.

In a statement at the time, rock climber Alex Honnold said: “I’ve never been religious or spiritual in any way. I’m not a big subscriber to fate. I see life as probabilities and chance and reality. Fate doesn’t play into my thinking at all. But I definitely do think about mortality and my time being short.”

Alex Honnold also said: I’m very aware that I have a limited time here and I should make the most of it and do what I can. I think that the desire to do my best in climbing does stem in part from knowing that I’ll only be here for a certain amount of time.”