It's over! Ryan Phillippe and fiancée Paulina Slagter in shock split 10 months after getting engaged

Ryan Phillippe has split from his fiancée Paulina Slagter 10 months after popping the question.

The shock news was first reported by UsWeekly.com on Thursday.

The actor, 42, and the law school graduate, 24, got engaged last Christmas after dating for five years.

They've split! Ryan Phillippe, 42, and Paulina Slatger, 24, who got engaged last Christmas after five years of dating, have broken up, it was reported on Thursday

The break-up is a surprise since earlier this year, the Secrets And Lies star gushed about his pretty girlfriend, describing her as 'awesome.'

'When people see her they have these judgments because she could be a model but she's about to graduate Stanford Law,' he said before Paulina received her degree this past summer.

'Also what's great about it - as you get older certain issues become more important to you. I'm very involved in civil rights issues, and so to be with a woman who could actually make an impact in the legal realm - that's a beautiful thing.'

Single: The actor, pictured in LA on Wednesday, gushed about the law grad student earlier this year, describing her as 'awesome', while pals revealed he was 'madly in love' with the blonde

Ryan, of course, was previously married to Reese Witherspoon to whom he was wed for eight years before their divorce in 2007. He and the Legally Blonde star share two children, Ava, 17, and Deacon, 13.

The actor also has a child with ex-girlfriend Alexis Knapp and was previously in a relationship with actress Abbie Cornish for four years.

As for his now doomed romance with Paulina, friends had spoken of how it had changed him for the better.

'Ryan is madly in love and wants to spend the rest of his life with Paulina. And the feeling is mutual,' one pal said. 

'They are a wonderful couple...... She is changing him. He is a better man. Ryan feels Paulina is very intelligent and has opened his mind to equality and civil rights, areas he has never really focused on that intently.'

Still friends: Ryan was previously married to Reese Witherspoon to whom he was wed for eight years before their divorce in 2007. They share two children - Ava, 17, and Deacon, 13

Although they've now gone their separate ways, Ryan, who stars in the upcoming TV series Shooter, isn't usually one to let the friendship go sour as he's remained close pals with all of his previous partners.

Ryan admitted last year that he's still 'very much' friends with Reece Witherspoon, whom he was married to for eight years.

He explained at the time: 'I think more of the problem was age. When we got together we were so young. I think it can create issues with two people in this industry because there's so much noise that goes along with it.'

New show: The actor stars int he uipcoming new TV series Shooter as an expert marksman on the run from the government. It's based on the movie that starred Mark Wahlberg

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