Oh, sad news. On Friday, actors Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor released a joint statement announcing they’re splitting after 17 years married. They used to star in movies together, however, the pair hasn’t been spotted together since mid-April.
Ben has attended many events without Christina over the past few months, including the Zoolander 2 premiere and Chaplin Award Gala in New York City earlier this month.
Joint statement announcing their breakup
In the statement, the pair expressed deep love and respect for each other and highlighted their focus will continue to be raising their kids together.
Prior to knowing and dating Taylor, Stiller was engaged to Jeanne Tripplehorn. Taylor was in a relationship with director Jason Bloom.
Stiller and Taylor shared their lives for 18 years. They met working on a pilot TV show titled Heat Vision and Jack in 1999.
They tied the knot in 2000 in Kuai, Hawaii. Ben previously popped the question during one of his rehearsals for Mett the Parents in November 1997.
They share two children, Ella who’s a fifteen-year-old girl, and Quinlin, who’s 11.
The relationship
Stiller was really private about their relationship, and in 2003 he opened up about it. The actor said things evolved pretty fast for both of them, and that it started by sharing time together and gradually realizing they were in love with each other.
“‘Wow, this feels great. I really like this person. I love this person. It hit me out of the blue,” he said.
Stiller and Taylor have not yet revealed the real cause of their split. But their decision was reportedly caused by their irreconcilable differences.
In the beginning of their relationship, Stiller also struggled with getting Taylor’s dad’s approval. After all, the man owned a security company. Years later, Stiller managed to get into Taylor’s dad’s inner circle so the latter agreed when the actor said he wanted to ask Taylor to marry him.
Sometimes life meets fiction and for Ben, it was pretty much like Meet The Parent. In the beginning of their relationship, Stiller struggled with getting Taylor’s dad’s approval. After all, the man owned a security company.
Years later, Stiller managed to get into Taylor’s dad’s inner circle. The latter agreed when the actor said he wanted to ask Taylor to marry him.
More recently, Stiller pointed out to this in an interview and said: “It was like ‘Meet the Parents’ in real life because Christine’s father is an intimidating guy who owns a security company. We’re good friends now.”
The two have appeared in a number of comedies together over the years, including Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, Tropic Thunder, and Zoolander. Additionally, both had recurring roles on cult television series Arrested Development.
Busy times
Ben has been pretty busy when it comes to working this year. Back in January, there was a buzz over a dark comedy produced by Ben Stiller called The Eggplant Emoji.
After a heated bidding war, Netflix acquired it and is reported to be still in works. And yes, the title really does tell much about the show.
The film is a dark comedy that will center on a group of teenagers whose camping trip turns into the horror story of all camping horror stories: One of them accidentally cuts off his own genitals.
Along with Stiller, Nicky Weinstock, Blake Anderson, Adam Devine, Anders Holm, Kyle Newacheck, Kevin Burrows, and Matt Midler are all producing. It’s a team that has a strong comedy background.They should be able to make even the painful “Eggplant Emoji” storyline entertaining.
Late Bloomers Amazon’s Latest addition
The actor continued on the producing track in February when Amazon acquired a Stiller-produced comedy titled Late Bloomers.
The half-hour series will explore the concept of agelessness and will center in a married couple who are selected to participate in a human trial for an experimental drug therapy.
Red Hour, headed up by Ben Stiller and Nicky Weinstock, along with One-Two Punch Productions, ITV Studios and Victor Levin, will executive produce the project.
Late Bloomers becomes the latest addition to Amazon’s roster of comedy originals. The streaming service has launched many comedy series in recent times including, Mozart in the Jungle, Transparent, Red Oaks, and Crisis in Six Scenes.
Days earlier, Ben was in France, where he attended the premiere of his latest movie, The Meyerowitz Stories: New and Selected, at the Cannes Film Festival.
The film was written and directed by Noah Baumbach. Starred some heavyweights of acting, Adam Sandler, Ben Stiller, Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson. Also starring in the film are Star Wars actor, Adam Driver, Elizabeth Marvel and Rebecca Miller.
The comedy follows a family going through a family crisis and somehow finding their peace. Move director, Baumbach, reportedly subdivided the movie in a series of chapters that feel like a single narrative, delivering quite a beautiful film.
According to critics, the comedy is a long way from the kind of comedies in which fans are accustomed to seeing Sandler and Stiller.
The film is said to earn Sandler his very first Oscar nomination. It’s also considered and his best role since “Punch-Drunk Love” played Cannes in 2002.
Source: Bustle