HOLLYWOOD - Rapper Kanye West and his fiancée have split.
After 18 months of engagement, West's ex, Alexis Phifer, has confirmed she's no longer with the hitmaker.
She tells People.com, "It's always sad when things like this end."
Insisting that the pair remains the best of friends, the designer adds, "I wish him the best in his future and all of his endeavors. He's one of the most talented people I've ever met."
West and Phifer went public with their engagement last year and were planning a winter wedding when the rap star's mother, Donda, died in November.
Rumors spread that the couple was secretly married over Christmas, but they proved not to be true.
Sources claim the couple, who started dating in 2002, had been struggling for some time before they quietly split.
One insider says, "They'd been having problems. Kanye is really focused on his (live) show; he's putting everything into the show right now.
"Alexis is a nice girl, but Kanye has been going through a rough time. They hit a rough patch and for now they've split."
Phifer's career is also taking off--she has just launched her clothing line, Ghita.
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