ABBA member Bjorn Ulvaeus (R) and partner Lena Kallersjo arrive for the premiere of 'Mamma Mia! The Party'
(Picture: EPA)ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus and Lena Kallersjo have announced their separation after 41 years of marriage.
The singer, 76, and his wife, 73, said they have remained close and even good friends following their break up.
Their split swept headlines as the pair revealed they had “many fine and eventful years” as a couple.
“After many fine and eventful years, we have decided to divorce,” they said in a joint statement
“We remain close and good friends and will continue to celebrate our grandchildren’s birthdays and other family celebrations together.”
Abba was made up of two sets of couples. Agnetha Fältskog was married to Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson to Anni-Frid Lyngstad.
At the height of Abba’s fame both couples divorced, one in 1980 and the other a year later.
The band went their separate ways in 1982, with Fältskog admitting she found it hard being in the band after her break-up.
Ulvaeus and Kallersjo started dating soon after his split with Fältskog.
Abba’s hit The Winner Takes It All was written during this period.
Fältskog said she found it hard to find the emotional strength to sing: “Tell me does she kiss/Like I used to kiss you?”
Speaking about the song in 2013, Fältskog said: “Björn wrote it about us after the breakdown of our marriage. The fact he wrote it exactly when we divorced is touching really.”
