Ben Stiller Breaks Silence On The Unexpected Fallout Of Separating From His Wife

Ben Stiller's marital crisis was a daunting situation for him.

The actor revealed that his previous separation from his wife had left his bond with his family in a shaky state, where love had temporarily been lost between all of them.

Ben Stiller and his wife, Christine Taylor, experienced five years of turbulence in their union, during which they parted ways but ultimately reconciled.

The actor explained in his newly released documentary that when he briefly parted ways with his wife, things became increasingly difficult for him. He revealed that he felt unhappy and lost at the time, which coincided with a period of significant career growth.

In the documentary "Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost," the TV personality stated that he felt out of balance, unhappy, and disconnected from his family. The desperation also extended to his kids, whom he felt estranged from and became very lost.

Stiller's new documentary focuses on the lives of his parents, the famous Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara, and he shared that the inspiration for writing it came after his father died in 2020.

According to The Daily Mail, Stiller stated that it was during this time that he moved back into their family home and spent more time with his family.

The Hollywood icon affirmed that his separation was a litmus test to see how life would feel if he did not have his wife and his family, and the result did not leave him with a smile.

In the documentary, Stiller reminisced about his lovely childhood, where he grew up with his sister Amy Stiller and their parents in New York.

He was able to put the memories of seeing his parents work their way through conflicts to good use, replicating the same technique in his marriage with kindness and love.

"I started to think about my parents and all the stress and tension I remember seeing as a kid, and the pressure when they were working together and how they stayed together through it," he stated.

The actor admired his parents' marriage, and he spoke about them again following his father's death in 2020, when he was convinced that his parents were finally reunited.

Despite their separation at the time, Stiller's wife disclosed that they still held their family values close and prioritized their duties, including attending parties and seeing shows together. As reported by The Blast, Taylor noted that the pandemic brought some positive developments to their situation.

"We found this way back. We had so much time to talk, so much time. There was no other distraction," the actor's wife claimed, emphasizing that everything happened in a very organic manner. 

A close friend of the couple even testified to the strength of their bond at the time of their separation. The source insisted that Stiller and Taylor were never estranged, and they would eventually reunite.

The insider noted that the couple did not even see other people, despite their separation, and continued to spend quality time together.

Stiller and Taylor met for the first time nearly three decades ago, in 1999, before tying the knot a year later, with all certainty that they were meant for each other.

As reported by PEOPLE, Stiller shared that the meeting took place on the set of the pilot for "Heat Vision and Jack," where his wife auditioned to play the sexy sheriff.

"We got married pretty quickly. I turned around one day and said, 'Wow, I'm happy with her. We connect. I'm enjoying being with her all the time!' It just felt right," the actor declared in 2016.

They became parents to two children, Ella Olivia and Quinlin Dempsey, in 2002 and 2005, respectively, and have stayed relatively out of the tabloids. A year before that, Taylor had starred alongside Stiller in the first movie collaboration where she played his on-screen love interest.

Two years after their first child, the couple made their second appearance in the comedy "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story." In 2008, they appeared as co-stars in another comedy flick, "Tropic Thunder," directed and written by Stiller.

By 2017, the couple announced their separation, stating that it was a mutual decision and requested privacy as they focused on co-parenting peacefully. However, despite this news, the couple were spotted out together on multiple occasions and even starred together in a holiday comedy, "Friendsgiving."

They eventually revealed in 2022 that a reunion had occurred during the pandemic and had evolved over their separation.

In 2022, The Blast noted that the actor got candid about some of his parental lapses, pointed out by one of his daughters, Ella. According to him, his daughter confronted him about not seeing him when she was younger.

The actor admitted that the statement from his daughter was difficult to process because he could also relate to it due to his upbringing as a child of popular actors. Despite resolving to do better than his parents, the actor noted that falling short of his daughter's expectations in that aspect was very hurtful.

Stiller stressed that he learned a valuable lesson from that conversation: kids do not necessarily care about fame and a successful career. He added that kids just want "a parent who's emotionally present and supportive of them."

Good to see Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor wax stronger after that phase in their love story.