Actors Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor found a surprising upside in the COVID-19 pandemic. A nearly four-year separation ended as their family reunited, a change both describe as transformative for their 24-year marriage.
The pair first met in 1999 while working on a Fox television pilot, “Heat Vision and Jack,” which never reached broadcast. Their fast-paced romance led to their wedding on May 13, 2000, in Kauai, Hawaii, in a ceremony by the ocean.
Over the course of their marriage, their professional and personal lives intertwined. Taylor acted alongside Stiller in several major productions, including “Zoolander” (2001), “Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story” (2004), and “Tropic Thunder” (2008), as well as TV shows “Arrested Development” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”
However, following their relocation from Los Angeles, California to New York and the release of “Zoolander 2” in 2016, the couple faced difficulties. In 2017, after 17 years of marriage and two children, daughter Ella, 22, and son Quinlin, 19, Stiller and Taylor announced they were separating.
Taylor, 53, recently disclosed on “The Drew Barrymore Show” that their initial split was due to rushing into marriage and growing apart. She emphasized that they took the decision to separate seriously and remained dedicated to their family throughout their separation.
In February 2022, Stiller announced their reunion in an interview with Esquire magazine. “We were separated and got back together and we’re happy about that. It’s been really wonderful for all of us. Unexpected, and one of the things that came out of the pandemic,” he said.
Stiller, 59, further elaborated on their separation, stating, “When we separated, it was just having space to see what our relationship was, what my life felt like when we weren’t in that relationship, how much I loved our family unit. It was like three or four years that we weren’t together but we always were connected. In my mind, I never didn’t want us to be together.”
The COVID-19 pandemic unexpectedly paved the way for their reconnection when the family decided to quarantine together. However, Stiller noted that it took almost a year of living together before they reunited. This time allowed them to have significant discussions without the usual distractions of daily life, leading to what Stiller described as “an act of God.”
Throughout the quarantine, Taylor expressed that their uninterrupted time together in their family home allowed them to have in-depth discussions without the usual interruptions. This lengthened period of living together provided opportunities for increased communication and led to a natural and gradual reconnection. Their relationship rekindled naturally over time through these shared moments and discussions, rather than through any concerted effort.
The reunited couple has since been seen together at various public events, including the U.S. Open and Broadway shows, showing their renewed commitment. They continue to work on individual projects while maintaining their fortified family bond.
Reflecting on their journey, Stiller stated, “I’m so grateful for it, and I think not that many people do come back together when they separate. There’s nothing like that, when you come back. You have so much more appreciation for what you have, because we know we could not have it.”
