(Photo credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Jane Lynch and her wife of nearly three years, Lara Embry, are planning to divorce.

"Lara and I have decided to end our marriage. This has been a difficult decision for us as we care very deeply about one another. We ask for privacy as we deal with this family matter," Lynch told ABC News in a statement. People was the first to report the news.

The "Glee" star, 52, and Embry, 44, met at a 2009 fundraiser at which Embry, a clinical psychologist, was being honored.

"I said, 'I want my picture taken with her,'" Embry told the New York Times of the moment she met the actress. "I thought she was cute."

A year later, they were married in Massachusetts, which allows gay marriage, and Lynch became a stepmother to Embry's two daughters, Haden, who lived with the couple, and Chase. Lynch has said that being a stepmother was a role she cherished.

In fact, when she was reciting her vows, the New York Times reported that Lynch promised "to be the very best parent I can be," and "to do my best to get her 'iCarly' tickets."

This story has been updated to include a photo of Jane Lynch and Dr. Lara Embry. A previous version incorrectly included a mislabeled photo of Lynch with her friend Laura Coyle.