‘I Kissed Dating Goodbye’ Author Announces He and His Wife Are Separating

Christian author Joshua Harris announced Wednesday that he and his wife, Shannon, are separating.

The former courtship advocate shared with his Instagram followers that the two will continue their lives together as friends.

“In recent years, some significant changes have taken place in both of us,” he says. “It is with sincere love for one another and understanding of our unique story as a couple that we are moving forward with this decision.”

Harris rose to prominence in conservative Christian circles when he wrote his book I Kissed Dating Goodbye in 1997 and, three years later, Boy Meets Girl: Say Hello to Courtship. In the books, he encouraged Christians to avoid the dating scene and instead pursue a group- and family-oriented approach he called courtship.

Last year, he wrote an official statement apologizing for the books, saying he spent two years talking to people who said the books greatly hurt them.

Now, as Harris and his wife are separating, he says they “hope to create a generous and supportive future for each other and our three amazing children in the years ahead.”

Harris ended his post by asking followers to respect the family’s privacy at this time.

See the full post below:

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We’re writing to share the news that we are separating and will continue our life together as friends. In recent years, some significant changes have taken place in both of us. It is with sincere love for one another and understanding of our unique story as a couple that we are moving forward with this decision. We hope to create a generous and supportive future for each other and for our three amazing children in the years ahead. Thank you for your understanding and for respecting our privacy during a difficult time.

A post shared by Joshua Harris (@harrisjosh) on Jul 17, 2019 at 8:03pm PDT