Ben Stiller has been candid about the temporary separation from his wife, Christine Taylor, 

which took place in 2017, offering new insights into why they decided to take a break from their marriage. 

In a recent interview with *The New York Times*, Stiller, 59, explained that their separation was an important period of reflection and growth for both of them.

“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,” Stiller shared with the outlet. 

Despite the separation, which lasted between three and four years, the couple maintained a close connection throughout the entire period. 

Stiller emphasized that the time apart helped him gain clarity on the importance of his family and his relationship with Taylor.

The couple’s separation was not without its challenges, but Stiller made it clear that his intention was never to sever ties permanently. He explained, “In my mind, I never didn’t want us to be together.” Although the two were apart, Stiller remained hopeful for their future, and the separation served as an opportunity for them to understand themselves and their relationship better.

Stiller and Taylor first met in 1999 when Taylor auditioned for a project that Stiller was directing. Their connection was immediate, and they quickly became one of Hollywood’s most beloved couples. They married in May 2000 in a ceremony in Kauai, Hawaii, and welcomed their two children, Ella and Quinlin, in the following years. After nearly two decades of marriage, the couple made the joint decision to separate in 2017, with a statement emphasizing that their focus would remain on their children and their shared commitment to raising them as a team.

Their time apart led to introspection for both Stiller and Taylor, with Stiller admitting that the space allowed him to reevaluate his life and what he valued most. However, the pandemic brought a surprising turn in their relationship. As Stiller and Taylor found themselves living together during quarantine, they were able to reconnect and ultimately decide to reunite. Stiller reflected on the experience, saying, “COVID put us all together in the same house. It was almost a year of living in the same house before we were actually together.” He expressed gratitude for this time, noting that it helped them to rekindle their bond.

Taylor has also spoken about the couple’s time apart, sharing her perspective during an appearance on *The Drew Barrymore Show* in 2023. She explained that, over time, they had started to grow in different directions, prompting the decision to take a step back from their relationship. Taylor acknowledged that the separation provided the space they needed to reevaluate their lives and what they wanted from their marriage. “We needed some time to figure that out,” she explained, adding that the pandemic gave them the rare opportunity to have meaningful conversations without the usual distractions of everyday life.

For both Stiller and Taylor, this time apart allowed them to gain a deeper appreciation for their relationship. Stiller elaborated on the importance of accepting their differences and how doing so helped them grow as individuals and as a couple. “Once you accept that, you save a lot of energy,” he said, adding that recognizing their differences helped them appreciate one another more, without feeling the need to change each other. This mutual respect and trust became a foundation for their reconciliation.

While their separation was challenging, it ultimately gave Stiller and Taylor the chance to rediscover what they loved about each other and the family they had built together. Stiller expressed that coming back together after time apart gave them a renewed sense of gratitude for their relationship, noting, “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.”

Today, Stiller and Taylor appear stronger than ever, having reconciled and embraced the growth that came from their time apart. Their story serves as a reminder that sometimes, space and reflection can be key to rediscovering the value of a relationship and making it even stronger in the end.

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