14 DAY TRIAL // Actress Helena Bonham Carter and film director Tim Burton never married, but for 13 years, they made up one of the most fascinating and fun and apparently solid couples in showbiz. Theirs wasn’t a traditional romance, but it seemed to work perfectly for them – until now, that is.
Helena and Tim are no longer together, a publicist confirms for People magazine. They split earlier this year, he adds in the surprise announcement.
An amicable split
“[They] separated amicably earlier this year and have continued to be friends and co-parent their children. We would ask that you respect their privacy and that of their children during this time,” the statement reads.
At least that part about the split being amicable isn’t a lie, because photos available online show them together just last weekend, when they caught Nicole Scherzinger in “Cats” in London and Helena playfully photobombed Tim’s selfie with the former Pussycat Doll.
As to what might have gone wrong in the romance, that’s anyone’s guess, but buzz online has it that he maybe cheated on her: Burton was photographed in the fall of 2013 kissing a “mystery blonde” after a night out on the town, sans Helena.
His rep played down the allegations, betting on the fact that the photos were from a distance and blurry, and saying that there was no scandal there, so the media could just give it a rest.
An unlikely, quite extraordinary romance
Showbiz isn’t the best environment for a lifelong relationship, and proof of that is the soaring rate of divorce among stars and industry people and the fact that many of these unions are measured in months, not years, before the divorce papers are filed.
Helena and Tim seemed to have found the secret to make it last: first of all, they lived in London, which afforded them anonymity whenever they wanted it. Secondly, though together and raising 2 children, they lived in separate houses.
Everywhere else, from red carpets to public events, they put up a united front. Moreover, Helena has been Burton’s “muse” for years, starring in several of his movies, including “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “Alice in Wonderland,” “Sweeny Todd” and “Dark Shadows.”
Their working relationship never seemed to get in the way of their personal one, though she admitted once that she had a bit of trouble recognizing Tim as “the boss” on the movie set because she kept acting as if they were equals, just like she did at home.
They even matched each other fashion’s sense, which was always a favorite topic with the media: Helena Bonham Carter has a reputation for dressing like she just stepped out of a Tim Burton movie, and he always looked just so right next to her.
Obviously, not everything is as it seems.
Though they rarely comment on their personal life, the reason why the separation announcement comes out now is to be found in the fact that Burton has a new movie coming up, “Big Eyes” with Amy Adams and Christoph Weitz. He’s probably trying to get ahead of the rumor mill in confirming the split.
