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speakup

TORONTO - Shania Twain and Robert (Mutt) Lange - the uber-producer who steered the country star to international success - are splitting up after 14 years of marriage.

"This is a private matter and there will be no further comment at this time," Twain's Canadian publicist said Thursday.

The news was a surprise announcement from the couple, who fiercely guard their private lives.

Lange, 59, is notoriously reclusive, has not granted an interview in decades and reportedly buys photos of himself to restrict their use.

The couple divided their time between Switzerland and New Zealand.

Twain, 42, who was raised in Timmins, Ont., met Lange in the early 1990s. One of the most successful record producers in the world, he has produced albums for Def Leppard, AC/DC, Foreigner, the Cars and Bryan Adams.

His deft touch proved gold for Twain, giving her her first Number One single, Any Man of Mine, off 1995's The Woman in Me.

The pair married in 1993, causing some controversy over their age difference. In response to the whispers, they co-wrote the monster hit You're Still the One as an ode to their union.

They have a six-year-old son, Eja.