Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor End 17-Year Marriage Over Hectic Schedule
Hollywood actors Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor are splitting up after 17 years of marriage.
The former couple released a joint statement on Friday, May 26, saying that they are ending their union on amicable terms.
Stiller, 51, and Taylor, 45, met on set while filming an unaired pilot called "Heat Vision and Jack" in 1999. They soon shared their marital vows at an oceanfront ceremony held in Kauai, Hawaii, in May 2000. Two years later in April 2002, they welcomed their daughter Ella Olivia. Their son Quinlin Dempsey came three years after that in July 2005.
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In the joint statement, which was provided to the media by their publicist, Liz Mahoney, Stiller and Taylor said that they have both made the decision to separate "with tremendous love and respect for each other."
However, their separation will not affect their priority, which will continue to be about the wellbeing of their children. Although they're splitting up, Stiller and Taylor have expressed their intention to remain as "devoted parents and the closest of friends."
Throughout their marriage, Stiller and Taylor have costarred in various movie projects that included "Zoolander," "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story," "Tropic Thunder," "Arrested Development," and "Zoolander 2." They have also weathered personal tragedies together like Stiller's battle with prostate cancer in 2014 and the loss of his mother, Anne Meara, in 2015.
In an interview with Entertainment Tonight at the premiere of "Zoolander 2" last year, the former couple shared that sense of humor was what was keeping their marriage strong.
"I think you got to laugh, because after a while, you know, life is life," Stiller said. "If you can share that, at the end, it makes a huge difference," he added.
A source told PEOPLE that Stiller's hectic work schedule has been the major factor that put a strain on the ex-couple's relationship.
"It gets hard — he has a very busy Hollywood career, and she's been very focused on being a mom," the source said.
Stiller and Taylor have asked the public to respect their privacy at this time.
