Ben Stiller‘s wife has pulled back the curtains on the glue that fixed her marriage in the nick of time.

The comedian and his wife, Christine Taylor, were faced with a marital crisis, which led to their five-year separation after spending almost two decades as a married couple. They never officially pulled the plug on their marriage, seemingly leaving a crack of hope for the reconciliation they announced in 2022.

Ben Stiller’s wife caught his eye in 1999 on the set of an unaired TV show. They dated for a few months, and the actor popped the question a few months later. In May 2000, less than a year after their first meeting,  they had tied the knot.

Ben Stiller’s Wife Says The Pandemic Was A Blessing In Disguise 

Taylor revealed on a recent episode of the “McBride Rewind” podcast that the COVID-19 pandemic was the turning point for her marriage to Stiller, which was on the brink of seeing its end at the time.

“If there’s a silver lining for us during Covid, that was the little gift,” she said, recalling how spending time together with their kids during the pandemic played a pivotal role in rekindling their love.

“We all kind of bubbled up together with our kids. Our daughter was graduating from high school at the time, and our son was graduating from eighth grade. We all were in the house together, and we had nothing but time,” she continued. 

She also disclosed that while they put in their time and conscious effort to make this work, professional help was in the picture. The lovebirds, who are parents to two children, Ella and Quinlin, found their way back to each other after working on their relationship with a therapist.

Taylor told the podcast’s host she thinks most people do not like to shed light on that aspect of their marriage or relationships because “it feels like a failure.”

Christine Taylor Disclosed Why Their Marriage Failed Initially

As the conversion proceeded, “The Brady Bunch” star noted the reason she felt her marriage to Stiller faced a hiatus at the time. She said that there were a lot of differences and opposing opinions on several matters.

“We weren’t on the same page with a lot of things,” she said, adding that they had naturally begun to grow in different directions. 

The couple announced their split in 2017 after seventeen years of marriage. They released a joint statement at the time, noting that the decision was amicable and that they still held great respect and love for each other.

Stiller and Taylor maintained that their children were their priority and would always be, irrespective of their relationship ordeals, before asking the media to respect their privacy.

In a 2022 Esquire interview, Stiller then confirmed that they were happily back together, also crediting the pandemic for their revived love story. “It’s been really wonderful for all of us. Unexpected, and one of the things that came out of the pandemic,” the actor said at the time. 

The Reconciliation Between Ben Stiller And His Wife Was Not Forced

The couple restored their relationship after giving themselves a five-year time apart. The actress previously explained that, after hitting that bump in their path, they thought it best to give themselves time to grow and figure things out.

Taylor also explained that their whirlwind romance played a part in their union’s tension as they “got married very quickly after meeting each other.”

The next year after tying the knot, they welcomed their eldest child, Ella, completely shifting their dynamics to that of a family of three within a small timeframe. The Blast shared that despite the hiccup, the duo maintained a common goal, which was having family at the top of their list.

Even while they were separated, they continued to do things together as a family unit, including attending birthday parties and seeing shows. The actress noted  that the whole reuniting process happened “organically and naturally.” 

An insider previously disclosed that neither Stiller nor Taylor got back into the dating scene during the time they were separated, still showing love for one another. “They always had fun and enjoyed hanging out. They never even dated other people after they separated,” the source revealed. 

The ‘Zoolander’ Actor Took Cues From His Parent’s Marriage

Stiller released a documentary last year, “Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost,” which focuses on the lives of his parents, the famous Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara. He shared that the inspiration for writing it came after his father died in 2020.

In the documentary, Stiller reminisced on his childhood, where he grew up with his sister Amy Stiller and their parents in New York. He recalled how his parents navigated through conflict in their marriage and careers, stressing how they did not allow the disagreements to drive them away from each other.

The actor expressed how he admired his parents’ marriage and took some lessons from them for his own marriage with Taylor. In the documentary, the filmmaker explained that when he briefly parted ways with his wife, things became difficult for him.

As reported by The Blast, he revealed that during that period, he had significant career growth, which should have counted as a source of joy for him, yet he felt unhappy and lost at the time. Stiller also felt estranged from his kids as a result of the state of his relationship with his wife at the time.

Ben Stiller’s Children Shared In The Cost Of His Successful Career

While Stiller has paid his dues in the industry, rising to the top as a comedian, filmmaker, and iconic actor, quality family time was one of the sacrifices he made.

His daughter, Ella, previously called him out on being an absent father, which made him reflect on the choices he made while his kids were young.

He said that Ella’s claims forced him to look inward, and he realized that having a successful career could not replace being a great father.

“I was trying to navigate my own desire to fulfill the hopes and dreams I had, too. And that doesn’t feel great, but it’s important to acknowledge,” he said, explaining that he was absent from their lives to be present in the industry.

The Blast reported that the actor’s son, Quinlin, also shared a similar sentiment to that of his sister, highlighting that Stiller’s drive for success as an entertainer sometimes drove a wedge in the family.

Quinlin explained that his father’s commitment to his career often pushes his role as a father to the bottom of his priority list.

The pandemic was definitely a time to remember for Ben Stiller’s Wife.