Recommended Free Tools
Ben Stiller said he did not expect to reunite with Christine Taylor after they separated in 2017, even though part of him was not ready to give up on the relationship. Taylor described the separation as a serious decision after they had grown in different directions and reached an impasse over what they wanted next. They found their way back to each other during the pandemic.
What Ben Stiller said about the separation
In a February 5, 2025, interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Stiller said, “I didn’t expect we were going to get back together.” He added: “But when we broke up, there was a part of me that wasn’t ready to just give up on it.” The remarks were reported by E! News; they describe his feelings at the time, not an expectation that reconciliation would happen.
Why Stiller and Taylor separated
The couple announced their separation in May 2017, after 17 years of marriage. Their joint statement said they had made the decision “with tremendous love and respect for each other” and that raising their children as devoted parents and close friends would remain their priority. They also asked for privacy. CBS News, reporting the Associated Press statement, published it on May 27, 2017.
Taylor later said that she and Stiller had started to grow in different directions and had reached an impasse about the next chapter of their lives. Speaking on The Drew Barrymore Show, she said the decision was not taken lightly and that family remained a priority. Good Morning America reported her comments on March 8, 2023. The public explanations do not establish private reasons beyond what the two have said.
#1 Best Overall
When they got back together
Stiller said he and Taylor moved back in together in 2021, during the pandemic—four years after their separation announcement. In a 2022 interview with Esquire, as reported by Good Morning America, he called the reunion “unexpected” and “wonderful.” Taylor later described spending pandemic time together with their children and finding their way back to each other.
E! News also reported that Stiller connected his parents Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara’s long relationship with his perspective on marriage. That account concerns his personal reflections; it does not change the couple’s stated reasons for separating.
Quick Recap
Best Value
Rank #2
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
