New York, New York-Singer Billy Joel and his wife of five years Katie Lee, have put their marriage into and end, says the singer’s rep.

“After nearly five years of marriage, Billy and Katie have decided to separate,” says the rep in a released statement. “The decision is the result of too much thought and consideration. Billy and Katie remain caring friends, with admiration and respect for each other.”

Lee, 27, host of Bravo TV’s “Top Chef,” was said to be going out with Israeli fashion designer Yigal Azrouel. They were once spotted dancing together in Miami this year and that the designer refers to Lee as his “girlfriend.”

The rep for the freshly-split couple denied that the said rumor was the cause of the separation.

Some sources meanwhile speculate the age factor for being part of the cause of the couple’s breakup. Joel, 60, is 33 years older than Lee. She was the singer’s third wife.