Lyle Menendez and his wife, Rebecca Sneed, quietly ended their marriage after more than 21 years together, but she remains a key figure in his life despite rumors of a cheating scandal Sneed says are baseless, PEOPLE has learned.

LOS ANGELES - Rebecca Sneed, the wife of Lyle Menendez, is revealing the status of her marriage to the convicted killer. In a social media post, Sneed announced she and Menendez are separated, but emphasized that the two remain "best friends and family.

Lyle Menendez’s longtime wife has announced she and her hubby have been separated for some time but insists the breakup has nothing to do with his reported affair with a student 35 years his junior. Rebecca Sneed – an attorney who married the convicted murderer from behind bars in 2003 – said on Facebook Friday that the pair remain “best friends and family” even though they’re no longer together as a couple.