Right before Memorial Day we learned that Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor were ending their 17-year marriage. Having not heard much about their marriage at all, I was surprised by their split. Bummed, too, I guess. It’s been a rough couple of years for Ben with his mother’s death and his cancer battle. However, as many of you mentioned, Ben has always had control issues, something he’s admitted. Although it looks like they are going with “conflicting schedules” as the company line, I think we can read a little more into what’s being said by People’s sources.
Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor‘s conflicting priorities contributed to their shocking split.
While Stiller, 51, and Taylor, 45, have collaborated over the years, the actor’s hectic work schedule put a strain on the relationship.
“It gets hard — he has a very busy Hollywood career, and she’s been very focused on being a mom,” a source tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue.
“They are a very loving family,” adds the source, who doesn’t expect a messy uncoupling. “[Taylor] and Ben respect each other and will do anything to make sure their kids are happy.”
I also don’t expect this to be messy. They’ll probably sew up their details, sign the papers and it will all be very quiet and civil in the media. And I hope that’s what happens because they’ve been good about keeping their kids out of the spotlight. The only messiness might be professionally since Ben and Christine have collaborated on so many projects together.
As for schedules being the issue, here’s my take: I think Ben did have a hectic schedule and he was bouncing from one project to the next. The Stiller-Taylor household probably fell into a comfortable flow and operated in a certain way with brief interruptions when Ben came home from set. But then cancer and the loss of his mother kept him home for an extended period, probably purposefully because Ben wanted to be around his family. You know the phrase, “they don’t make a house big enough for two retired people”? I imagine that’s true here as well. Ben started hanging around the house and probably made some “suggestions” about how things should be done and things escalated from there. If any of you have been the stay at home partner, you know what I’m talking about. I’ve said “sure, we can try it your way,” through gritted teeth to The Mister more than I’ve called his name. Turning the tables, what would have happened if Christine “corrected’ his directions on a film?
For now, Christine has her home back and Ben has a success with The Meyerowitz Stories and an extended trip to Italy to keep him cozy.
Photo credit: WENN Photos
Shame. They seemed like a nice couple. But maybe they just grew apart.
To me, she’ll always be Melody from Hey Dude.
Hey Dude was def my favorite show 😂
So true. I’m a SAHM and I get a little anxious thinking about the retirement years.
Ben was sitting behind me a couple of weeks ago at the Barbara Streisand concert in Brooklyn. He looked miserable and was with a woman who was not his wife – though they didn’t look “couplish”
You’re telling me they couldn’t sit down with or without a professional mediator to work out their schedules? What a WEAK EXCUSE for a divorce!!!!
That’s the excuse the public is getting. Do you really think that’s all there is to it?
I certainly did not give anyone the real reason for my divorce. I sugar-coated it for public consumption.
That is the public excuse. The public is not entitled to more details. Especially if those details have the potential to hurt their kids.
I don’t think the public is “entitled” to know the real reason, but the couple should just not say anything, instead of making up a weak lie. Because it only makes them look dumb and selfish — their “schedules” conflict? They are going to put their kids through a divorce because their “schedules conflict”? I mean, if this was the REAL reason, what assholes! It’s better to just not say anything at all to the public.
Except this came from a source, which could be one of them and could be completely made up.
The only rumours I’ve read about the dynamics of the relationship is that Ben is a control freak, so maybe schedules really did break them up! i.e. He couldn’t handle her messing up or not sticking to his schedules.
They’ve done a good job keeping their kids out of the spot light. I bet they’ll keep their divorce private too. It can be done, side-eyeing Garner/Affleck/Goop
Someone posted on here that he has a lover in Italy.
I don’t think that’s it at all. I’ve been perusing the comments on this story and the original one when it first broke. I “know” a blogger in Hawaii who claims that BS was a customer of hers for prescription pills while he was there filming. Since that kind of stuff is almost never recreational, I find myself looking for his “pinned” eyes in alot of these shots……
I’ve been married to my husband for 16 years. I cannot imagine divorcing him b/c our schedules were conflicting. That’s something you work out. There’s definitely more to their story and they are in no way obligated to tell the public. I wish them and their children all the best.
I wonder if anyone believes that “schedule” in a couple with the means to make a LDR work is a reason for a divorce.
Obviously it’s a typical excuse for splitting up, not the actual reason. No one married for nearly 20 years gets divorce because they have conflicting schedules, lol. It’s more likely their “schedules” made them spend more time with each other and drive each other livid. Given all the comments I’ve read stating that Stiller is not a pleasant person to be around, perhaps the best schedule for Taylor was to have him away from home and focused on his career while she stayed home and took care of the children.
Also, I don’t know if I buy entirely that she wanted to quit her career to focus on family life. It is a path she chose in order to marry into the Stiller family and maintain a Hollywood lifestyle even if she did not have much of a career afterwards, but I see more of Stiller’s controlling personality dictating her schedule and giving her time only to star in his films. We’ll probably never know the entire truth, but someone always gives a statement years down the line. I expect to hear a few pieces of info about their marriage from Taylor if she is on a promotional tour for a movie in the future. I would not be surprised if she tries to get more work after this divorce.
Their daughter looks so much like his mom!
I know, right?!
I bet Kibbles is right.
A lot of the top men in Hollywood are hard-line autocrats with their wives and often domineer them. In exchange for the lifestyle, the wives have to obey, show up looking smashing, and be as publicly deferential as possible. I think he might in fact have a horrible temper and be very much master of the house in every area, that can be irritating to any woman.
Likely her career panned out, but it might have been both lack of offers and being immured in the life of being a Hollywood wife. No real control or power since he has all of that.
People Magazine coming out with more of their BS stories from BS sources. Why does anyone give them the time of day anymore? Like they really know anything.