While moving in with your significant other is often a rite of passage, there are many famous faces who have chosen to live separately from their loved ones. From practical choices like work commitments and prioritising their kids’ wellbeing, to simply wanting their own space, these stars elected to hold onto their own homes and maintain their independence.
From the sitcom star who’s lived apart from her bicoastal spouse for two decades, to the Hollywood couple who joined their separate properties with a walkway, here are some of our favourite celebrity couples who once lived apart – and even still do.
Sheryl and her husband meet up every two weeks
Sheryl Lee Ralph and Vincent Hughes
Not only is Abbott Elementary star Sheryl Lee Ralph currently living apart from her husband – the pair have never lived together throughout their entire two decade marriage. While Sheryl calls LA home thanks to her acting career, her husband Vincent Hughes resides on the opposite coast in Pennsylvania, where he’s a State Senator.
"You fall in love with somebody and you realize he's not leaving his career. He's not leaving Philadelphia. I'm not leaving Hollywood," Sheryl told People in 2025, revealing that the couple meet every two weeks. “When I go to see him, I love to see him. When it's time to leave, 'Bye-bye. See you soon.' I'm telling you, life is good."
The couple initially lived apart for the comfort of their children
Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker
After tying the knot in 2022, Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker were in no rush to move in together. The pair maintained separate homes in Calabasas – reportedly only a block apart – to help their children acclimatise to the new relationship.
In a 2022 episode of the Not Skinny But Not Fat podcast, the Kardashian sister shared that the blended family have dinner every Sunday night, and did eventually want to live together. “We want our kids to also feel really comfortable…they have both lived in their homes their whole lives,” she said; the lovebirds later merged their households after the birth of their shared son, Rocky, in 2023.
Sarah opened up about the pair's unique living arrangement
Sarah Paulson and Holland Taylor
While acting couple Sarah Paulson and Holland Taylor have been together for over ten years, the Hollywood stars also prioritise their independence. The pair split their time between multiple properties, with Sarah telling the SmartLess podcast, “We spend plenty of time together, but we don’t live in the same house”.
The All’s Fair star, who is 32 years her partner’s junior, also shared that Holland hadn’t been in a long-term relationship for a while before meeting Sarah – “I think it was a lot to sort of have me and all my me-ness in her space,” the actress remarked.
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The couple connected their North London properties via a throughway
Helena Bonham Carter and Tim Burton
Throughout their 13-year partnership, Helena Bonham Carter and filmmaker Tim Burton found a creative way to maintain their freedom while starting a life together. The couple lived in adjoining houses in North London that were connected, after Tim reportedly purchased the two units next to Helena’s beloved artist cottage in the neighbourhood.
“We have a throughway. It's actually quite above ground, lots of light,’ the Fight Club actress told The Guardian in 2012, revealing that the layout meant the couple each had one house, with a third offering the perfect place for their two children to play. Following their amicable split in 2014, the actress retained the handy Franken-property.
Gwyneth and Brad expressed regret at their decision to live apart
Gwyneth Paltrow and Brad Falchuk
After their nuptials in 2018, Gwyneth Paltrow and Brad Falchuk chose not to move in together, reportedly only spending half the week under one roof in an effort to ease their children from past relationships into the new setup. The couple eventually moved in together a year later, and have since expressed regret at their choice to stay apart in their early marriage.
"I think at the time, we really felt like we were doing the right thing," Gwyneth said on her Goop podcast in 2025. “But I'm not sure that it didn't just prolong that thing of like, we don't know what we're doing."
Kaley and her ex-husband spent the first two years of their marriage apart
Kaley Cuoco and Karl Cook
At the start of their four-year marriage in 2018, The Big Bang Theory star Kaley Cuoco and equestrian Karl Cook chose to live separately for the first two years of their marriage. While the choice allowed the pair to ease into their new life together, they were also waiting for their dream marital home to be completed.
"We are not together every single day, and I think personally, it’s important. It works well for us,” the actress told E! News in 2019. Following the couple’s split in 2022, Kaley stayed in the jaw-dropping $12 million property, which took two years to be completed.