For more than two decades, many have found it impossible to entirely separate Madonna the controversial, trend-setting woman from Madonna the controversial, trend-setting pop icon.

Now may be a pivotal moment for both. After months of speculation that her marriage was in trouble, the 50-year-old singer and her director husband, Guy Ritchie, 40, confirmed Wednesday that they'll divorce.

There's bound to be speculation about how the split will affect what happens next in her career, creatively and practically. Madonna hasn't canceled tour stops, and Rolling Stone contributing editor Anthony DeCurtis is confident that any pain she's going through "won't be reflected in her shows. She's too much of a professional. She'll go out there and do what she needs to do."

It's also safe to say Madonna won't be chatting about the breakup. "She's not going to go on TV and talk about it," says longtime publicist Liz Rosenberg. "The details are not up for discussion. People may assume that because they see pictures of Madonna and her family that she leads a very public life, but that's not the case."

Certainly, however sexually or spiritually provocative her work, Madonna has never been a confessional artist. As Rosenberg notes, her songs aren't "deliberately autobiographical. People misinterpret them all the time."

Source: USA Today