Inside Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor’s Road to Reunion

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For Ben Stiller, there will always be something about Christine Taylor. 

The director of *Severance*, which earned an impressive 27 Emmy nominations in 2025, is clearly a master of creating popular and well-regarded television. He’s also experienced a personal triumph, having rekindled his relationship with the actress from *The Wedding Singer* after they separated in 2017.

Ben, who shares 23-year-old daughter Ella Olivia and 20-year-old son Quinlin Dempsey with Christine, has explained how their split ultimately helped them create a stronger connection.

He explained to *The New York Times* that their separation wasn’t a breakup, but a chance for both of them to figure out what they wanted. He wanted to understand what his life felt like outside of the relationship, and how much he valued their family. They spent about three or four years apart, but remained connected throughout that time.

Even while they were separated, Ben always wished he could be with Christine, whom he married in 2000.

I always wanted us to be together,” the 59-year-old explained. “I’m not sure what Christine was thinking – you’d have to ask her – but the pandemic brought us all under one roof.

The Zoolander actor said that living with his partner during a difficult period was key to them reconnecting and getting back together.

Ben explained that they lived in the same house for nearly a year before they officially got back together. He feels very thankful for that time, and believes it’s rare for couples to reconcile after separating.

He explained that returning home gives you a much greater appreciation for everything you have, because you realize how easily those things could be lost.

Christine, age 54, feels similarly about the split, explaining that she and her husband rushed into marriage after meeting in 1999 while working on the TV pilot *Heat Vision and Jack*.

She shared on *The Drew Barrymore Show* in 2023 that things moved very fast after they met. They dated for about six months, got engaged, married within a year, and then welcomed their daughter, Ella, the following year.

Years later, Christine said she and Ben grew “in different directions,” and their breakup became a way for them to get to know the new versions of each other before coming back together. 
 
“I feel like when you’ve lived a lifetime with someone like we have—and we learned as we were going along—there’s a freedom in that,” she said of deciding to reconcile. “There is a freedom in the comfort of this relationship and the commitment.”
 
For more sweet moments between Ben and Christine, keep reading. 

Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor have been married since 2000 and separated in 2017, but they never officially divorced. After spending time together with their children, Ella and Quinlin, during the pandemic, they decided to get back together.

Ella frequently joins her father, Ben, at industry events. For example, she attended the Tribeca Film Festival in June 2023 for the premiere of a short film starring her mother, Christine, and the family coordinated their outfits in shades of black.

She’s also been Ben’s date to several other high-profile events, including the 2022 Emmys, premieres of Free Solo (2018) and The Meyerowitz Stories (2017), and the opening night of the Broadway show Groundhog Day.

In 2019, Ella and Ben attended the Golden Globes together to support Escape to Dannemora, a miniseries for which Ben was nominated for an award for directing.

Ben recently shared his experience working with his daughter, Ella, on the set of *Escape to Dannemora*. He told TopMob he was “very proud” of her and happy with how things went. The *Zoolander* actor explained that Ella treated him with a lot of respect, which he especially appreciated given the typical dynamic between a father and teenage daughter. He joked about wanting to avoid their usual home behavior and instead have a positive working relationship, and said the experience was great for both of them.

Ella has appeared in a few films and TV shows, including *Escape to Dannemora*, *Hubie Halloween*, and *Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb*. Her parents have been supportive of her interest in acting. Ben noted in 2019 that Ella seems eager to pursue an acting career, and Christine told *Us Weekly* in 2018 that she always encouraged Ella to follow her dreams. Christine explained that Ella was determined from a young age and loved performing. Growing up in New York City exposed her to the arts, fueling her passion, and while Christine didn’t actively push her toward acting, she never discouraged it either.

Ben recently shared that his daughter, Ella, had talked to him about feeling like he wasn’t around enough when she was growing up, due to his work. He told *Esquire* that it was difficult to hear, as she expressed it so clearly, and it reminded him of his own childhood with his parents, actors Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara, who were often absent. He’d always intended to avoid repeating that pattern.

While it wasn’t easy to hear Ella express those feelings, Ben emphasized the importance of acknowledging them. He also admitted he was trying to balance fulfilling his own ambitions with being a good father.

Ben clarified that Ella and her brother, Quinlin, weren’t focused on tracking his work absences; they simply missed spending time with him. He realized that children aren’t concerned with their parents’ careers. What they truly want is a parent who is emotionally available and supportive – perhaps even more than they want their parent to pursue creative endeavors.

Ben Affleck recently shared on *The Late Show With Stephen Colbert* that his daughter Ella turned him into a big Taylor Swift fan. He explained that playing Taylor Swift’s music helped calm Ella while she was learning to drive, and it ended up calming him too. He admitted he was a fan before, but now considers himself a ‘Swiftie.’ He’s become so immersed in her music, even enjoying her more recent albums like *Folklore* and *Evermore*, and appreciating the complex storytelling in songs like ‘Cardigan,’ ‘Betty,’ and ‘August,’ which all explore the same love triangle from different perspectives. He was even fascinated to learn that the characters are inspired by Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively’s children, and he’s a fan of Taylor’s extended version of ‘All Too Well’ from her vault.

After appearing in the 2007 film *Tropic Thunder* with Ben, Christine decided to step away from acting to concentrate on raising their children. She explained in a 2010 interview with *The Morning Call* that becoming a mother to Ella completely changed her perspective. She felt an overwhelming amount of love and wanted to be fully present in her daughter’s life. With Ben working a lot, she believed it was important for one parent to provide stability at home. Ben later told *Parade* magazine in 2016 that he was very grateful for Christine’s choice.

Over ten years ago, Ben and Christine decided to follow a plant-based diet and encourage their children to do the same. Christine recalled to *People* magazine in 2012 that when they make green smoothies, their kids react as if it’s something strange. She jokingly tells them to try it and stop complaining. The *Search Party* actress also shared that her daughter, Ella, prefers vegetables over fruit, while her son, Quinlin, is the opposite – he loves fruit but avoids vegetables. Despite this, Christine remains optimistic, believing that one day her kids will appreciate their healthy lifestyle. She says they’re simply ‘planting the seeds’ and waiting for their children to come around.

Ella frequently joins her parents at events, but Quinlin typically avoids public appearances. He did, however, attend the Project A.L.S. Benefit in 2018 with his family. According to Christine, who spoke with *Us Weekly*, this was Quinlin’s first event and he was enjoying himself. She explained that their daughter attended the previous year and encouraged him to come, and that it was special to share the event with their close-knit group of friends who have watched their children grow up together over the past two decades.

Quinlin joined the celebration at the Project ALS 25th Anniversary Gala in 2023. Ben and Christine are committed to teaching their children about the causes they care about. Christine, who serves on the board of directors for Project ALS, told *Us Weekly* in 2018 that it meant a lot to her children to attend an event, have fun, and also learn about such a worthwhile organization. She appreciated them taking the time to participate, even on a school night.

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2025-09-14 13:17