Fans who were disappointed in 2017 when Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor split will be happy to learn that the longtime Hollywood couple has reunited. In an interview with Esquire about his Apple TV+ show, “Severance,” and a documentary about his parents he’s currently working on, Stiller confirmed the news.
The separation was part of a string of painful events for the 56-year-old actor, including his own battle with aggressive prostate cancer, the loss of both parents in a five-year span and the failure of his film, “Zoolander No. 2.”
At the beginning of the pandemic, Taylor and Stiller decided it would be best for their kids, Ella Olivia, born in 2002, and Quinn Dempsey, born in 2005, if Stiller moved back into the family home. While the intention was to ensure that Stiller could see the children during the early months of lockdowns, things changed as time went by.
“We were separated and got back together and we’re happy about that,” Stiller told Esquire. “It’s been really wonderful for all of us. Unexpected, and one of the things that came out of the pandemic.”
In 2017, the couple, who has starred in many films together, including “Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story” and “Zoolander,” released a joint statement announcing their separation.
“With tremendous love and respect for each other, and the 18 years we spent together as a couple, we have made the decision to separate,” Stiller and Taylor told ET. “Our priority will continue to be raising our children as devoted parents and the closest of friends. We kindly ask that the media respect our privacy at this time.”
While they did not provide a reason for their separation, Stiller has since admitted that his work commitments have had an impact on family relationships, which his daughter has been vocal about.
“She’s pretty articulate about it, and sometimes it’s stuff that I don’t want to hear. It’s hard to hear,” Stiller told Esquire. “Because it’s me not being there in the ways that I saw my parents not being there. And I had always thought, ‘Well, I won’t do that.’ But then it’s that thing that, like, I was trying to navigate my own desire to fulfill the hopes and dreams I had, too. And that doesn’t feel great, but it’s important to acknowledge.”
And while he has no plans to stop working, it seems that Stiller’s outlook has changed.
“What I’ve learned is that your kids are not keeping score on your career,” he shared with Esquire, adding, “They just want a parent who’s emotionally present and supportive of them.”
He also discussed a realization he has had about making his marriage work.
“I think we have a respect for the ways that we’re similar and the ways we’re different,” Stiller said in Esquire. “And I think accepting that, you can really appreciate someone more because you’re not trying to get them to change for you.”
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