Helena Bonham Carter has remained fairly silent about her break-up with her baby daddy, Tim Burton. This is somewhat surprising given how upfront she is about so many things. This includes the time she had some very choice words about a few of her costars. But the Crown star (who has some connections to royalty herself) hasn't gone all-that public about her 2015 separation from the famed Batman, Beetlejuice, and Big Fish director.
Recently, Helena Bonham Carter has given us some new information about her relationship with Tim, their 2014 break-up, their work collaborations, and the relationship they shared for 13 years, and the kids they had together.
To say that their relationship was unconventional would be an understatement... So, let's dig into it a little and learn about what drove them apart.
The Couple Met On 'Planet Of The Apes' And Led An Unconventional Life
According to Vanity Fair, Helena and Tim met on the set of Planet of the Apes in 2001. During the filming of the movie, the two fell hard for each other. Tim was in a relationship at the time and things became mighty messy when he decided to leave her.
While Tim and Helena were together for a healthy 13 years and had two kids together, they decided not to marry. Marriage just wasn't for them, although they never went public with why.
They also famously lived in two adjoining houses. The two spaces had little design consistency. In fact, one house had Helena's aesthetic, and the other had Tim's. She claimed that her house looked like something out of Beatrix Potter while Tim's had Oompa Loompas, skeletons, and slime balls laying around.
"We just have two houses knocked together because mine was too small," Helena told The Telegraph. "We see as much of each other as any couple, but our relationship is enhanced by knowing we have our personal space to retreat to... Tim does snore, and that’s an element. We’ve tried lots of remedies that don’t work. He has a deviated septum and doesn’t want an operation."
The Mystery Behind Their Break-Up
The accomplished actor, who just released Enola Holmes on Netflix, recently shed some light on how she, Tim, and their two kids, Nell and Billy, are adjusting to their new life.
According to The Daily Mail, Helena said that she has had to adjust to not having her kids around her all of the time. The whole process of shared custody was really challenging for her and the entire family.
'The cruelty of divorce is extraordinary. But then you get to a point where you're like, oh, I get this week off! Some parts are very much to be recommended."
When asked about why exactly she and Tim split, Helena had this to say:
“Oh, I can’t talk about that. Good try, though! I have a responsibility to the children not to talk about it. As well as to Tim, I respect him. But I didn’t leave, put it that way. Although I will say this in the positive sense: I do think there’s a point where people fit for a certain time, sometimes, and if you can, you recognize that you’ve given what you can, and you’re going to stop each other from evolving, and if you can afford it, well… So. I was reluctant at first, let’s say.”
Working With Tim Drove A Huge Wedge Into Their Relationship
In October 2020, Helena shared an authentic perspective about working with her now-ex-partner. Of course, given the fact that she and Tim made many movies together, Helena has spoken about what it's like to work with a romantic partner many times. However, this time, she had gained a little more distance from it all.
She was asked about it during an interview with Louis Theroux and BBC Sounds.
"Working with Tim?" Helena started, after being asked about what it was like to work with him. "It so depends on the characters. And it depends on the relationship you have as working partners. On Planet of the Apes, when we weren't together, he was fantastically respectful. And he is. And he's a delight to work with."
But the two of them came into some conflict while filming 2007's Sweeney Todd.
"We were both out of our depth. I'd never sung before and he'd never done a musical. And it's that classic thing when you take the stress out on the person who you know best. And we really didn't get on on that one. Amazingly, I got pregnant. But let's not go into that."
All of this was a very big change from their relationship at home where Helena basically ran everything. She even said that he nicknamed her "Chief". Tim was happy to abdicate making decisions at home since his entire job is based around decision making. But the two definitely had a power struggle on set as time went on.
"I sort of felt that I had to become a Geisha girl a bit on set. Be very aware of what I said because he's a very sensitive man. And he wants to have a clear mind. I think on some level, I was a hindrance to his concentration. He's a hilarious man. And we had a lot of laughs. But there were times when working together was not harmonious."
Helena said that they weren't very argumentative as a couple except on Sweeney. And this made things very awkward for Johnny Depp who was the lead in the movie.
There's Immense Positivity Between Them Nowadays
Unlike many separated or divorced couples, Helena and Tim have found their peace.
“I could write a thesis on what’s happened,” Helena said in an interview with Red. “But I think we’re coming through it, and I think we’ll have something very precious still. Our relationship was always somewhat special, and I think it’ll always remain special.”
Then Helena added, “We did find each other. And really, the mark of a successful relationship shouldn’t be whether you’re there forever after. Sometimes you’re not meant to be forever together. Sometimes you have to come to terms with the fact that that was it. But that was a gift, a massive gift. We gave each other children and a lot more else.”