Christine Taylor is opening up about one of the most difficult periods of her life – and how she and husband Ben Stiller ultimately found their way back to each other after a five-year separation.
The 54-year-old actress candidly reflected on the breakdown of their marriage during a recent appearance on the McBride Rewind podcast, admitting that the decision to separate in 2017 was anything but easy.
© CBS via Getty Images"I think at that moment in time for us we weren't on the same page with a lot of things," Christine explained, describing the period as "very difficult" and one that left her feeling heartbroken and disappointed.
"It was not without a heavy heart and feeling really, even, dejected at the time," she said. "This is not how I imagined it was going to be."
© GettyThe Hollywood couple married in 2000 after a whirlwind romance and went on to welcome two children, daughter Ella, now 24, and son Quinlin, 20. Over the years they became one of Hollywood's most enduring partnerships, appearing together in films including Zoolander, Dodgeball and Tropic Thunder.
When they announced their separation after 17 years of marriage, fans were shocked. Despite the split, however, the pair remained deeply connected.
"Through it all, we were always in contact," Christine revealed. "We were co-parenting together. We were spending time together as a family."
© Getty ImagesThe real turning point came during the Covid-19 pandemic. Like many families, they suddenly found themselves spending extended periods of time together under one roof.
For Christine, what she calls the "silver lining" of the pandemic created a rare opportunity to pause and reflect. "We all kind of bubbled up together with our kids," she said. "We had nothing but time."
Rather than avoiding the issues that had driven them apart, the couple committed to working through them. Together they attended therapy sessions via Zoom, which ultimately helped rebuild the foundation of their relationship. "We really found the way back," Christine shared.
© Getty ImagesThe actress believes many people are reluctant to discuss separations because they can feel like a failure, but she hopes their experience shows that relationships can evolve and recover.
"Long-term marriages are a lot of work," she said. "And I feel really comfortable talking about it because I think it's really important for people to feel like that's okay."
Ben has previously spoken about the challenging period in his own life, admitting he felt disconnected from both himself and his family during their time apart.
© Getty"My career had been going along for a long time, but things actually weren't great in my personal life," he said in a documentary about his late parents, comedy legends Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara.
"I just felt out of balance and unhappy and kind of disconnected from my family, from my kids and just kind of a little bit lost."
Today, the couple say they have emerged from the experience stronger than ever. Christine describes their marriage as "better than ever," while Ben previously told Esquire that getting back together was one of the most unexpected gifts to come out of the pandemic.
For a couple who once thought their story was over, it turns out the second chapter may be their strongest yet.
