and Safiyya Vorajee have announced their split a matter of weeks ahead of the first anniversary of .
Taking to Instagram to post matching statements, the former couple revealed they had separated ‘a few months ago’ but decided to keep the news private initially while they came to terms with it.
Ashley’s Story read: ‘After a devastating and heartbreaking year, Ashley and I decided to separate a few months ago. This was an incredibly tough decision which we needed to keep to ourselves for some time to give us the opportunity to figure out our own journey privately.
‘The past few months have demonstrated that we remain the closest of friends, spending time together everyday [sic], and that we will love, care and support each other forever.
‘We are bonded by our powerful journey together, by the eternal love we have for our daughter, and our passionate commitment to her foundation.’
The former footballer and aesthetic practitioner first started dating in 2017, before making things official the following year.
Daughter Azaylia was diagnosed with a ‘rare and aggressive’ form of lukaemia, and died at just eight months old.
The couple, who welcomed Azaylia in August 2020, had planned to take her to Singapore for treatment after their fund-raising page
However, Ashley found out she had days left to live after learning her test results
On Instagram he revealed a CT scan had revealed two ‘very big leukaemia tumours on her brain’.
The tot was brought home by her doting parents to receive palliative care, with them determined to .
Ex on the Beach star Ashley later revealed she amid her illness.
In January, the pair had said it would be a ‘beautiful thing’ to as they ‘always wanted a brother or sister for Azaylia’.
Safiyya told : ‘Azaylia is and always will be our child and if she ever has any siblings in the future then she has somebody to sit with and play with. I look at it as beauty.’
Since Azaylia’s death, Ashley, 31, and 34-year-old Safiyya which raises money for other families going through the same thing: they also recently .
The exes documented their heartbreaking first milestones without Azaylia, from Father’s Day to , with Safiyya marking Mother’s Day on Sunday with an admission that she was ‘really struggling’.
‘The ache in my heart the lump in my throat the sore eyes from me crying I feel suffocated by today I just want it to be over!’
‘Thankyou [sic] Ashley for waking me up this morning & bringing me coffee & flowers in bed but most importantly making me a mummy to our beautiful baby girl my love will run for eternity for you & Azaylia,’ she added.
Ashley, who was forced to in memory of his daughter earlier in March after his opponent bailed, recently revealed that the reason he is growing his beard long is that , as she used to love playing with it.
