The Real Reason Behind Avril & Deryck's Split

In the four days since Avril Lavigne and Deryck Whibley's impending divorce was announced, speculations have flown about how things ended and why. Official: Avril Lavigne & Deryck Whibley Divorcing

Us Weekly blamed it all on Avril, saying that she: "forced him out of their $9.5 million, 12,000-square-foot estate in LA's Bel Air" and that Deryck "is crushed."

Deryck, on the MySpace page for his band, Sum 41, however, said: "Our decision to part ways is amicable and she holds a special place in my heart and forever will be a great and amazing friend."

Meanwhile, Avril, on her own website, said: "I admire Deryck and have a great amount of respect for him. He is the most amazing person I know and I love him with all my heart. Deryck and I are separating and moving forward on a positive note."

Hmmm...who are we supposed to believe? Us Weekly, who was first to break the story, or the divorcing couple themselves, who sound sort of like they're still in love?

It turns out that we might, in fact, be best advised to believe People. In a weekend posting on their website, a friend close to the couple claims the reason for their split is as obvious as it seems: they got married too young. The Ups and Downs of Marrying Young

"She married too young and she finally realized that," the source says. "Avril realized she needs her own life and needs to explore things without him."

Another friend seconds the explanation to People, saying that it's "not about Deryck wanting a kid nor is she dating someone else" (referring to rumors about Avril's involvement with Brandon Davis).

It all sounds legit to us. After all, Avril was only seventeen when she met Deryck, nineteen when she began dating him, and twenty-one when she walked down the aisle with him. And based on most studies, couples who marry before age twenty-five have a pretty lousy chance making it more than a few years — whether they're in Hollywood or not.

So there you go. As it turns out, Avril and Deryck aren't so complicated after all.

_{Photo via Bauer Griffin.}