Christina Aguilera split

I could deal with the Courteney Cox/David Arquette breakup. But I refused to believe anything about Christina Aguilera's separation until I saw an official statement.

Tuesday evening, I found it. And lamented the relationship world's demise.

I'm only half kidding.

Once Christina's news became official, I told my boyfriend I've already prepared a statement to release to our co-workers in the event of a breakup. Again, I was only half kidding.

But the conversation brings up an important question: At what point do you announce your romantic separation to the rest of the world?

In both of the recent major celebrity breakups, the couples had reportedly been separated for months before the official news surfaced.

The approach makes sense.

You need time to figure out if you're broken up "for real." You also need to formulate a public breakup explanation that doesn't involve too much rage or emotional angst.

Wait too long, however, and it's possible the rest of the world will learn of your separation indirectly. That's not always the most pleasant scenario.

Thoughts?