Christine Taylor opens up about reuniting with Ben Stiller after separation

Christine Taylor says she hopes being open about her relationship journey with husband Ben Stiller will encourage others to speak more honestly about the role therapy can play in strengthening marriages.

The actress recently reflected on the couple's reconciliation after their 2017 separation, revealing that counseling sessions during the COVID-19 pandemic helped them rebuild their relationship and ultimately find their way back to one another.

Taylor and Stiller, who married in 2000 and share two children, announced their separation after 17 years of marriage. In 2022, the pair confirmed they had reconciled.

Speaking on the McBride Rewind podcast, Taylor said the unexpected circumstances of the pandemic created an opportunity for the family to spend meaningful time together and focus on repairing their relationship.

“If there's a silver lining for us during Covid, that was the little gift,” she said, recalling how the family remained together at home while their daughter was graduating high school and their son was completing eighth grade.

According to Taylor, she and Stiller used that time to commit to regular therapy sessions conducted virtually, which allowed them to address long-standing issues and better understand one another.

“We'd log into Zoom and we'd do our therapy sessions and really found the way back,” she explained.

Taylor acknowledged that many people are reluctant to discuss therapy because they view it as a sign that a relationship has failed. However, she argued that seeking help should not carry a stigma, regardless of the outcome.

“I think it's something people don't love to talk about because it feels like a failure,” she said, adding that even if therapy had ultimately confirmed they were better apart, that clarity would still have been valuable.

The actress emphasized that lasting relationships require ongoing effort and self-reflection from both partners.

“Long-term marriages are a lot of work,” she said, noting that personal growth played a significant role in helping them reconnect.

Today, Taylor says she and Stiller are “stronger and better than ever,” and she feels comfortable discussing their experience publicly because she believes it may help others navigating similar challenges.

The actress also reflected on the emotional weight of their original decision to separate, describing it as one of the most difficult moments in their relationship.

“It was not light. It was not without a heavy heart,” Taylor said. “It was very difficult to come to that decision.”

She added that the separation left her feeling disappointed that things had not unfolded as she had imagined, despite the couple's efforts to make the marriage work at the time.

Now reunited, Taylor hopes their story serves as a reminder that relationships can evolve and that seeking support should be viewed as a sign of commitment rather than failure.