Ben Stiller has finally revealed why and how he got back together with wife Christine Taylor after a long separation.

They took time apart in 2017 after 17 years of marriage and were not a couple for about three years, he shared.

They fell in love all over again when he moved in with her during the pandemic for the sake of their two children, daughter Ella, 22, and son Quinlin, 19. 

In a new interview with The New York Times, Stiller, 59, explained how the time apart ended up helping the.

‘When we separated, it was just having space to see what our relationship was, what my life felt like when we weren’t in that relationship, how much I loved our family unit,’ he said. ‘It was like three or four years that we weren’t together but we always were connected. In my mind, I never didn’t want us to be together.

‘I don’t know where Christine was, you’d have to ask her, but COVID put us all together in the same house,’ added the director.

It was ‘almost a year of living in the same house before we were actually together’ again.

Ben Stiller has finally revealed why and how he got back together with wife Christine Taylor during a long separation. Seen in 2019

They took time apart in 2017 after 17 years of marriage. But they fell in love all over again when he moved in with her during the pandemic for the sake of their two children, daughter Ella, 22, and son Quinlin, 19. Seen in 2019

The arrangement worked well for both of the stars, and the two began to reconcile.

he told Esquire in 2022: ‘We were separated and got back together and we’re happy about that,’ Stiller told the publication.

‘It’s been really wonderful for all of us. Unexpected, and one of the things that came out of the pandemic.’

Stiller then came up with an analogy involving horseback riding to describe how his views on marriage have changed over the past few years. 

He said, ‘A few years ago, I realized I don’t like horseback riding. If there’s an opportunity to go horseback riding, I’m probably not going to do it. Now, I like horses! I think they’re beautiful. I like petting them.’

‘I like watching people ride horses, I like watching my kids ride horses. I just don’t really love riding horses. And once you know that, it just saves a lot of energy.

‘So, yeah, I think we have a respect for the ways that we’re similar and the ways we’re different. And I think accepting that, you can really appreciate someone more because you’re not trying to get them to change for you. Once you accept that, you save a lot of energy. 

”This is something that works for me; this is something that doesn’t work for me.’ If you have that trust level with your partner, you know that me saying ‘I don’t like doing that thing’ is not me saying ‘I don’t like you.” 

Seen at the game between the New York Knicks and the Milwaukee Bucks on January 12 at Madison Square Garden in New York City; her wedding rings are firmly on

In a new interview with The New York Times, Stiller, 59, explained how the time apart ended up making their relationship better. ‘When we separated, it was just having space to see what our relationship was, what my life felt like when we weren’t in that relationship, how much I loved our family unit,’ he said; seen with daughter Ella in 2019

‘It was like three or four years that we weren’t together but we always were connected. In my mind, I never didn’t want us to be together,’ he added. Seen in 2016

They have starred in multiple films together including Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, Zoolander and Tropic Thunder

They announced their separation back in 2017 after 17 years of marriage. The couple released a statement at the time about how they were going to try and remain friends. 

‘With tremendous love and respect for each other and the 18 years we spent together as a couple, we have made the decision to separate,’ the statement said at the time.

‘Our priority will continue to be raising our children as devoted parents and the closest of friends. We kindly ask that the media respect our privacy at this time.’ 

The two met while filming a television pilot in 1999 for a show тιтled Heat Vision and Jack. They married the following year.  

The couple share two children: Ella and Quinlin. 

They have starred in multiple films together including Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, Zoolander and Tropic Thunder.