Actress Jennifer Aniston and singer John Mayer have broken up due to “different chemistry”.

Mayer publicly confirmed that he had dumped the Friends star and explained his reasons why.

“It’s the most normal thing in the world. There’s no lying, there’s no cheating, there’s no nothing,” he said, a week after their break-up.

“People are different, people have different chemistry, different lives. You’re either a cheater or you break up and I’m not the first one, I’m the second one.

“I ended a relationship to be alone, because I don’t want to waste somebody’s time if something’s not right.”

He was full of praise for his ex, saying: “Jennifer Aniston is the smartest, most sophisticated person I think I have ever met.

“I think she’s great. She’s one of the most lovely people I have ever met in my life.”

Mayer spoke to reporters as he left a gym in New York.

“I’m truthful on the way into a relationship, truthful in the middle and truthful on the way out,” he said.

“I guarantee you there’s 20 per cent of people on this street that are in a relationship they wish they could get out of and don’t know how.”

Friends star Aniston, 39, and Mayer, 30, dated for several months.

She was previously married to Brad Pitt but they divorced in 2005 after four years together.