Ricki Lake has split from Christian Evans.

According to court documents, obtained by gossip website TMZ.com, the 46-year-old star says they legally separated on October 9 and she is requesting to pay her estranged husband spousal support.

The duo are also rumoured to have a prenuptial agreement that includes details of how they will divide their property.

Ricki, who divorced her first husband, illustrator Rob Sussman, in 2005, with whom she has two children, Milo and Owen, previously credited Christian for helping her to be less cynical about love.

During an interview last year, she said: "For a long time I was involved in this very difficult marriage. I had all these struggles and a relationship filled with drama, which I thought was normal and healthy. But a marriage shouldn't be drama filled. It should be loving and based on a real partnership.

"It was very tough and traumatic and my children were very young. I was married for almost 10 years and I honestly did not think that I would ever get married again. I thought, 'I don't need a man. I am an independent woman. I am strong. I was very cynical about marriage but then I met this amazing person and he changed my perspective on what a partnership should be and the value of sharing your life with someone."