Nigerian News and Entertainment | Viatrends Blog: Olympian Gus Kenworthy and Matt Wilkas Announce They Have Separated But 'Remain Close Friends'

Olympic freeskier Gus Kenworthy and his actor boyfriend Matthew Wilkas have separated, PEOPLE confirms.

A rep for the former couple exclusively tells PEOPLE that Kenworthy, 27, and Wilkas, 41, have amicably decided to take a break in their relationship after nearly four years together.

“Gus and Matt are taking time apart,” the rep says. “They love and support each other and remain close friends.”

The news comes a little over a month after Kenworthy and Wilkas were last featured on each other’s Instagrams. On June 8, the former pair embarked on the AIDS Life Cycle, a seven-day, 545-mile cycling event from San Francisco to Los Angeles.

The former couple first started dating in Nov. 2015 after Kenworthy revealed to PEOPLE that he sent Wilkas a direct message on Instagram.

At the time, Kenworthy, who won a silver medal at the Olympic Winter Games in Russia in 2014, had not publically come out as gay. (He came out in October 2015.)

“It sounds bizarre, because I’ve said it to people and they were like, ‘I didn’t know people did that,’ ” Kenworthy said in Feb. 2018, not long after he competed in the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

“And it’s like, it is weird,” Kenworthy continued, “but I’ve met actually a lot of other couples that have met on Instagram … I think it’s kind of commonplace. It’s almost like a dating app or anything because you get a sense of someone, their personality, what they do, who they are, what they look like, whatever. And so it makes it easy to kind of establish a connection early on.”

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Happy #NationalComingOutDay everybody! That doesn't mean that today is intended to pressure anybody to come out before they're ready. Instead today is a gentle reminder to us all to live our lives honestly and authentically and not allow anybody else's expectations to force us into silence. Coming out is an extremely personal journey that each person should do on their own time when they feel ready, safe and comfortable. There is no "right" way nor a right time to come out. It's all up to you! If you happen to be struggling in the closet then I hope today can be a beacon of hope for you. Click the hashtag to see and read stories of others who have walked the same trail that you're maybe now just finding yourself embarking on. Sometimes it can feel like a tough path to walk but I promise it will be worth it in the end. There is no feeling more liberating, fulfilling or freeing than accepting and acknowledging who you are and then sharing your true self with the world. We all deserve to live our lives authentically and unabashedly. When you live your truth, unafraid and unapologetically, you make it easier for someone else to do so. Representation is how we break down barriers, combat discrimination, and make positive change in the world. Although you may feel alone in the closet there is a community out there that sees you, hears you and not only accepts you but is actually waiting with open arms to embrace you. Good luck!

A post shared by gus kenworthy (@guskenworthy) on Oct 11, 2018 at 12:02pm PDT

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My Seoul mate! He's a little late for Valentine's Day but he made it just in time to see me compete tomorrow (tonight for you guys in the states)! Feeling very lucky to have him, my family, my agent and some amazing friends here in Korea cheering me on. The past few days of practice have been pretty tough (I broke my thumb two days ago and yesterday got a massive hematoma on my hip that needed to be drained), but despite it all I'm still so excited to go out there and give it my all. Win or lose I'm gonna be walking away with my head held high! Thank you all for your words of encouragement and support, I wouldn't be here without you! #TeamUSA

A post shared by gus kenworthy (@guskenworthy) on Feb 17, 2018 at 6:45am PST

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Kenworthy said he was already familiar with the actor from his starring role in the 2012 romantic-comedy Gayby.

“I remember thinking that he was funny and cute and that was kind of it,” Kenworthy shared. “I remembered his name, and then a little while later on the popular page of Instagram his profile came up — and he makes these really stupid little videos on his Instagram, but they’re very funny and they’re very endearing and so I followed him and he followed me back.”

After exchanging numbers and meeting up for coffee in New York City, the pair “hit it off” and remained by each other’s side. In 2018, Wilkas even tagged along with Kenworthy’s family to cheer him on at his Olympic slopestyle event in South Korea.

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WE ADOPTED A BABY FROM KOREA!!! Our sweet puppy Beemo is finally out of quarantine and was reunited with us today and I couldn't be happier!!! It breaks my heart to think that she was being raised for slaughter. I can't thank the Humane Society International (@hsiglobal) enough for shutting down the dog meat farm she was on and for bringing all 90 dogs back safely! Go support @hsiglobal!!! #DogsAreFriendsNotFood

A post shared by gus kenworthy (@guskenworthy) on Mar 18, 2018 at 5:52pm PDT

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The former pair faced challenges due to Kenworthy’s skiing career, as they were often separated due to his traveling schedule.

“It definitely has its ups and downs,” Kenworthy previously told PEOPLE. “With my job, I’m always on the road, so I think that makes it pretty tough … I think that’s hard for any relationship, and long-distance is tough.”

Despite that, Kenworthy said Wilkas was “an amazing communicator and so we kind of just talk through everything and work through stuff, and I’d say it’s a pretty good relationship. I’m happy about it.”