Ruben Studdard, Surata Zuri McCants to Divorce After Three Year Marriage

Celebrity gossip site TMZ is reporting that Ruben Studdard, the winner of “American Idol” Season 2, has officially called it quits with his wife of three years, Surata Zuri McCants.

Studdard, who met McCants at an Alabama Wal-Mart Superstore in 2006 while signing autographs and tied the knot a few years later in June of 2008, cited “irreconcilable differences” on his divorce papers.

The couple had no children together.

A rep for Studdard released a statement which read:

“Ruben Studdard and Zuri McCants Studdard have separated, and they are in the process of seeking a dissolution of their marriage. They each request the public respects their privacy during this trying time in their lives.”

Following his American Idol win, Ruben experienced immediate success – topping the Billboard 200 chart with debut album ‘Soulful’, which sold over 400,000 copies in its first week alone. Including Soulful, Studdard has released four albums, his most recent being 2009’s Love Is.

Watch Ruben Studdard’s performance of Superstar – a song he would later receive a Grammy Award nomination for – on American Idol in 2003 below:

In recent years, Studdard, 33, has worked on his health and fitness, losing approximately 80 pounds through a vegan diet and regular exercise. Having signed to Shanachie Entertainment, Ruben is currently working on his fifth studio album.

via Contact Music