Jane Lynch has formally filed for divorce from her partner, Dr. Lara Embry.
According to documents filed in Los Angeles Superior Court Friday, the couple met in California in 2009 at a fundraiser and announced their engagement in April 2010. Lynch said, “I’m thrilled. Great, it’s really great. I never thought that this is something I wanted. It’s just the greatest thrill in the world to find somebody that you want to be with every day.”
Same-sex marriage wasn’t legal in California at the time, so Lynch and Embry were married in a small ceremony in Sunderland, Massachusetts on Memorial Day 2010. Guests included Embry’s 10-year-old daughter, Haden, whom Lynch called “my greatest pleasure.”
The 52-year-old Glee actress and 44-year-old Embry were registered as domestic partners in California.
Lynch announced the couple’s divorce last month , saying in a statement, “Lara and I have decided to end our marriage. This has been a difficult decision for us as we care very deeply about one another. We ask for privacy as we deal with this family matter.” No reason was given for the divorce.
Dr. Lara Embry, a psychologist, gained notoriety in 2009 when she won a custody battle with her former partner over their two children. Both women gave birth to one child, and then adopted the non-biological child through a second-parent adoption.
When the couple broke up, they agreed to share custody of both children, but Embry’s ex decided to separate the children and cut off ties. With help from the National Center for Lesbian Rights, Florida courts decided that Embry “must be given the same rights as any other adoptive parent in Florida.
The NCLR honored Embry with the organization’s Justice Award at a May 2009 event, which Jane Lynch was also attending as a presenter.
Lynch recently made her Broadway debut as Miss Hannigan in Annie for a limited engagement from May 15 to July 14.
[Photo credit: Jaguar PS / Shutterstock.com ]
