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Tim BurtonandHelena Bonham Cartermay have had one of the most eccentric partnerships in Hollywood — both professionally and romantically.
After meeting on the set ofPlanet of the Apes(2001), the couple collaborated on eight films, includingBig Fish(2003),Corpse Bride(2005),Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street(2007) andAlice in Wonderland(2010).
Though they worked together on many projects, and she has called her former partner “a hilarious man” with whom she “had a lot of laughs,” Bonham Carter hasadmittedthat their working relationship wasn’t always pretty.
“There were times when working together was not harmonious,” she said in an interview onGrounded with Louis Theroux, noting that filming 2007’sSweeney Toddwas the only time the two were “argumentative as a couple.”
From their many Hollywood collaborations to raising their two children, here’s everything you need to know about Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter’s relationship.
2000: Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter meet while filmingPlanet of the Apes
Burton and Bonham Carter met on the set ofPlanet of the Apesin 2000.
Burton pursued Bonham Carter for the film. In 2012, the actress toldGraham Nortonthat she had been in Australia when Burton called to offer her the role. “He said, ‘Don’t take this the wrong way, but you are the first person I thought of to play a chimpanzee’ " she recalled. “I thought, he’s never met me, but he’s got me. Because he said, ‘I’ve got this funny intuitive feeling … that you like to cover up.’ And I said, ‘You’re completely right.’ "
At the time of filming, Burton was in a 10-year relationship with actressLisa Marie, who had a small part in the movie. Prior to that, he was married to Lena Gieseke from 1987 to 1991, while Bonham Carter was in a long-term relationship with actor-directorKenneth Branaghfrom 1995 to 1999.
July 23, 2001: Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter make their red carpet debut
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The two walked the red carpet for the first time at the New York City premiere ofPlanet of the Apesa few months before they officially started dating.
October 4, 2003: Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter welcome their first child together
Five years after his birth, Bonham Carter toldThe Guardianthat her life completely changed after welcoming her son. “On the day Billy was born, it was like walking through a mirror and everything was Technicolor,” she said. “My life had been very work-orientated, and all in close-up. Once I had the family it went into sudden widescreen.”
December 4, 2003: Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter attend theBig Fishpremiere
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The actress lovingly looked up at her partner as they walked the red carpet for their second film together,Big Fish. Bonham Carter took on two roles — a foreboding fairy tale witch andBilly Crudup’s love interest Jenny — while Burton directed. The film was released on Christmas in 2003.
February 15, 2004: Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter attend the BAFTAs
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The London-based couple couldn’t contain their smiles as they sat at the 2004 BAFTA Awards in animal print chairs. Burton was nominated for the best direction forBig Fish.
July17, 2005: Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter attendCharlie and the Chocolate Factorypremiere
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It wasn’t unusual for the couple to don black outfits for their red carpet appearances, and the London premiere ofCharlie and the Chocolate Factorywas no different.
The Roald Dahl adaptation featured Bonham Carter in one of her smallest roles in a Burton flick — she played Charlie’s mother Mrs. Bucket.The film was released stateside on July 15.
September 7, 2005: Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter releaseCorpse Bride
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The couple attended the premiere ofCorpse Brideat the 2005Venice Film Festival.Bonham Carter voiced Emily, the titular bride, in Burton’s stop-motion film, which hit theaters on September 23.
He also told the outlet that his partner was “completely misperceived,” saying, “If you read the London papers, she’s referred to as one of the worst dressed people in the history of Britain, or a posh aristocrat. It bothers her a little bit but once you get labeled there’s really not much you can do about it.”
November 30, 2005: Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter step out for the West End production ofEdward Scissorhands
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Fifteen years afterEdward Scissorhandshit the big screen, the famed filmmaker and his partner attended the world premiere of the stage adaptation of his film in London’s West End.
March 5, 2006:Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter attend the 78th Annual Academy Awards
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The duo opted for pops of color for the 2006 Oscars in Los Angeles, with Burton pairing his black suit with a red button-down, black patterned tie and sunglasses, while Bonham Carter shined in a slinky slate gray gown. The director was nominated for Best Animated Feature forCorpse Bride.
November 2, 2006: Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter confirm relationship timeline
In an interview withThe Guardianto promote her film,Sixty Six, Bonham Carter confirmed that her and Burton’s relationship started after filmingPlanet of the Apes.
“Tim is very shy, and I was dressed as an ape all the time, so we didn’t really collide,” she said. She also noted that the first and only personal conversation they had during filming was about the London neighborhood Hampstead, where she grew up and where Burton had stayed while filmingSleepy Hollow.
She said it was a “complete surprise” when their relationship started months later. “But at the same time, it made complete sense,” she recalled. “Lots of friends said, ‘Duh, when were you two going to work it out?’ "
July 3, 2007: Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter attendHarry Potterpremiere
The duo may have worked together often, but they were just as supportive of each other’s individual films, like when Burton joined Bonham Carter at the London premiere ofHarry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
Bonham Carter’s publicist exclusively told PEOPLE that they wereexpecting their second child.
September 5, 2007: Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter celebrate Burton’s lifetime achievement award at Venice Film Festival
October 2007: Helena Bonham Carter opens up about fertility struggles with Tim Burton
Bonham Carter toldThe Telegraphthat she and Burton startedtrying for a second childin 2005, but when she wasn’t getting pregnant, she tried alternative methods like acupuncture and the fertility drug Clomid, resulting in unwanted side effects. Though they discussed in vitro fertilization, theEnidstar got pregnant naturally, learning they were expecting again while filmingSweeney Todd.
“I was working so hard at the time. The first three months being pregnant while filming, I felt totally spaced out,” she said. “You do need to multi-task with acting. You’ve got to remember your marks, your lines, singing, everything, and actually — you have no brain! Suddenly your own brain is growing another person’s brain, so yours goes defunct. It wasn’t ideal, but then I was so happy to be pregnant.”
December 15, 2007: Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter welcome their second child
The couple’ssecond child was bornin London on Dec. 15, 2007.
“They are absolutely delighted they have a daughter,” the actress’s rep told PEOPLE. “It’s a lovely Christmas present for the family.”
Shortly before giving birth, Bonham Carter and Burton learned they received Golden Globe nominations forSweeney Todd— Bonham Carter for best actress and Burton for best director — while at the doctor’s office.
“We were talking about inducing, and Tim got a call from his assistant,” Bonham Carter told PEOPLE of the moment she learned of her Globe nomination. “I do look like a globe, so it’s kind of funny. I am very round.”
January 6, 2008: Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter fight nepotism rumors
In particular,Stephen Sondheim, who wroteSweeney Todd’s music and lyrics, had the final say over the role. Bonham Carter auditioned for Sondheim, not Burton, and the actress said getting the part was “the most absolutely amazing thing.” “I just could not believe it,” she said. “Nor could Tim, actually. He burst into tears. And I burst into tears.”
She made a similar comment 12 years later. “I never got a free ride with Tim because I was sleeping with him,” Bonham Carter toldThe Guardian. “I was always auditioning. And I gave him two kids and everything!” she joked.
January 10, 2008: Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter join Johnny Depp for London premiere ofSweeney Todd
The director and the actress posed for photos with frequent collaboratorJohnny Deppat the premiere ofSweeney Toddin London. Depp, a godparent to the couple’s children, was often caught in the middle of Burton and Bonham Carter’s creative spats on set.
“Johnny was caught in the middle,” theFight Clubactressexplainedto Louis Theroux in 2020. “In the end, I realized I shouldn’t really have any good ideas. If I had a good idea I should give it to Johnny. If I gave it to Johnny, Johnny would mention it to Tim and then it was a marvelous idea. If I mentioned it, it would be an absolutely crap idea. We worked our way through it.”
Bonham Carter said that their strained on-set relationship was unusual. “We weren’t actually very argumentative as a couple except onSweeney,” she added. “It might have been the subject matter, you know, Tim sort of identified with Sweeney and I was playing Mrs. Lovett.”
January 18, 2008: Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter share details about newborn daughter and living in two separate houses
When her daughter was only a month old, Bonham Carter shared some sweet details about her newborn, who didn’t yet have a name.
“She’s very chilled, with lots of hair, and I’m totally in love. I even loved the birth,” she told theEvening Standard. “I’d do it again in a flash. I just got the drugs, sat back, and enjoyed it. It was all so casual that she didn’t even cry when she came out.”
The actress said that giving birth at St. Mary’s Hospital in London felt like Christmas. “The happiest days of my life have been spent in that hospital,” she said, adding that since welcoming her daughter, she was “on breastfeeding duty, trying to think of a name.”
She also once again discussed the couple’s unusual living situation with the outlet. “In any relationship, after the first year is over, you can’t help but want your own space,” she explained. “We have different telly tastes and both work from home. But things obviously aren’t that bad between us, or I wouldn’t have gotten [pregnant], would I? I’m very happy.”
August 5, 2008: Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter reveal daughter’s name
Seven months after their daughter’s birth, Bonham Carter and Burton revealed her name. In aninterview withThe Jewish Journal, Bonham Carter shared that they landed on Nell, a diminutive of Helen, in honor of “all the Helens in the family.” In addition to Helena Bonham Carter, her mother is Elena and her grandmother was Helene.
November 17, 2009: Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter celebrate the director at MoMA’s Second Annual Film Benefit
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Depp once again celebrated with the couple when Burton was honored atMoMA’s Second Annual Film Benefitin N.Y.C.Danny DeVito, who worked with Burton onBatman Returns, also joined the duo for the evening.
February 2010: Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter talk being the “bonkers couple”
In an interview withThe Guardian, Bonham Carter said that she and Burton aren’t a goth couple despite how she is often described. In fact, she cackled when the interviewer asked if she and theBatmandirector were the “wackiest parents at the playground.”
She also said that she and Burton have changed since getting together. “He’s made me more aware. He thinks I overact all the time,” she said of Burton’s influence on her. “People who know him say I have [changed him], and I feel really flattered. Made him talk more. He didn’t really talk before. He’s much shyer than me. Every sentence was unfinished. I used to say he was a home for abandoned sentences. Now he actually finishes them.”
February 25, 2010: Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter attendAlice in Wonderlandpremiere
The pair stepped out with their colleagues for the premiere ofAlice in Wonderlandin London’s Leicester Square. Their son, Billy-Ray, even joined them for the afterparty at the Sanderson Hotel.
March 2010: Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter discuss raising Billy-Ray
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While promoting the release ofAlice in Wonderland, Bonham Cartersaid she was reliving childhood with her son. “Wave wands and pretend … that’s all he does,” the actress said of then-6-year-old Billy-Ray. “So I’m growing up with him again, and we’ve got a lot to talk about.
At the time, Bonham Carter had said Burton hadn’t discussed if she would be cast in his next film — though she ultimately was — and was more concerned with his post-Alicereturn home.
“What I just want to know is if he’s coming home now for the babies … Because we’ve been separated for six or seven months,” she said. “He’s been stuck in his room drawing and directing and animating all this time.”
November 30, 2010: Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter open up about their “titles”
In an interview withVulture, Bonham Carter was asked how she refers to Burton since they’re not married. She replied, “I don’t know; I haven’t got a satisfactory word! Father of my bastards, perhaps?”
February 14, 2011: Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter celebrate her win at the 2011 BAFTAs
Bonham Carter won best supporting actress for The King’s Speechat the 2011 BAFTAs, and she thanked her longtime partner for his love and support in her acceptance speech.
“And then finally, Tim Burton, who is my genius, and thank you for the big-headed queen,“she said, referencing herAlice in Wonderlandrole. “And thank you for making the eighth and ninth wonders of the world that are our children.”
February 27, 2011: Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter attend the Oscars
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Burton and Bonham Carter cozied up on the red carpet at the 83rd annual Academy Awards in L.A.
Ahead of the awards show, theTwelfth Nightactress spoke to PEOPLE, joking that her partnersometimes tried to rein in her eccentric style. “Tim says to take seven things off before I go out. Coco Chanel said one. Tim says at least seven because too much is going on,” she said, adding that she has only one firm fashion rule: “I hate being boring.”
May 9, 2012: Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter attend the premiere ofDark Shadows
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In May 2012, Burton and Bonham Carter attended the U.K. premiere ofDark Shadowsin London.Dark Shadowswas the last film Burton directed Bonham Carter in, but it wasn’t their last project together. Burton produced the 2016 sequel Alice Through the Looking Glass, in which Bonham Carter reprised her role as the Red Queen.
November 29, 2012: Helena Bonham Carter explains her “completely traditional” relationship with Tim Burton
During an appearance on theGraham Norton Show, Bonham Carter said that despite what many think, her and Burton’s relationship was “completely traditional” — save for their holidays. The actress described Burton’s “complete creative control” over their first Christmas tree of theirs, “which looked all great, but as you looked close, you realized there were some zombies and dead babies … He’s sick, he’s obviously a sick man.”
Norton also asked for clarity about their housing situation, asking if in reality, they just lived in “a big house.”
“We have a big house. We did have little ones and now it just looks like a big house which has no interior design constancy whatsoever. There’s a bit that looks like me, which is tasteful,” she joked, “and his which is bizarre … everybody seems to make us more interesting than we actually are.”
January 13, 2013: Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter step out at the Golden Globes
Just before theGolden Globes, theFrankenweeniedirector was hospitalized in London after a nasty fall resulting in a broken arm and shoulder. “I have a metal plate in there, so I’m part robot now,” he joked toVulture.
His injury was on display at the 70th Annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, California, where Burton’s ensemble included an arm sling.
February 24, 2013: Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter attend the Oscars
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The eccentric couple matched when they hit the red carpet at the 85th Annual Academy Awards in L.A. Burton’s filmFrankenweeniewas nominated for Best Animated Feature.
After the awards show, they posed for more photos at theVanity FairOscar Party in West Hollywood, California. PEOPLE reported that the couple chatted in a booth with Catherine Zeta-Jones andMichael Douglas.
March 20, 2013: Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter attend a charity gala
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Two days after attending a West End performance ofThe Book of Mormon, the pair posed for photos at A Night of Funk and Soul 2013, a benefit for Save the Children U.K. The couple were seen walking together in London shortly after, but the fundraiser would be their last public appearance before rumors of a cheating scandal broke a few months later.
October 2013:Helena Bonham Carterdenies cheating rumors after Tim Burton is allegedly photographed with another woman
In October 2013,theDaily Mailpublished photos that appeared to show Burton kissing a blonde woman after a screening ofThe Wicker Man.However, Bonham Carter quickly denied rumors of an affair, with her reptelling E! News, “This is absolutely nonsense. The pictures were taken whilst they were out and the large group includes family, friends and work colleagues.”
June 2014: Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter attend the Wizarding World of Harry Potter expansion with their children
Lester Cohen/WireImage
It was a family affair in Florida, where the couple brought their kids to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando Resort.
December 23, 2014: Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter separate
Bonham Carter’s rep exclusively told PEOPLE that the pair had “separated amicably earlier this yearand have continued to be friends and co-parent their children.” The rep added that the exes asked for respect of privacy for themselves and their children.
September 2015: Helena Bonham Carter opens up about split from Tim Burton
Speaking about her breakup for the first time publicly, theAlice Through The Looking Glassstar toldRedmagazine, “I could write a thesis on what’s happened. [I]t is all-absorbing when a relationship breaks down, but I think we’re coming through it.”
Bonham Carter went on to say that she still valued her relationship after its ending. “I think we’ll have something very precious still,” she said. “Our relationship was always somewhat special, and I think it’ll always remain special.”
She 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.”
May 2016: Helena Bonham Carter reflects on her “divorce” from Tim Burton
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Though they were never officially married, the actress reflected on her and Burton’s split as a “divorce.”
“With divorce, you go through massive grief — it is a death of a relationship, so it’s utterly bewildering. Your identity, everything, changes,” she toldHarper’s Bazaar.
TheCrownactress admitted she considered sticking “handle with care” tape across her forehead following the split to warn people, “I’m not myself at the moment, so be careful.”
Bonham Carter noted that she and Burton “really do get on,” despite their breakup. “I understand him very well and he understands me,” she said. “It might be easier to work together without being together any more. He always only cast me with great embarrassment.“She also said that she sees her post-Burton life as a chance to renew and reflect, saying, “I feel very self-sufficient at the moment. I’m just going to work out who I am on my own and it’s quite liberating.”
October 2019: Helena Bonham Carter discusses moving onafter her split from Tim Burton
The actressshared that she had moved onduring an interview withHarper’sBazaarUK five years after she and Burtonsplit.
“You break up, you grieve, you get bored of grieving, and then you finally move on,” she said. “I’m very happy with someone else. It’s been a bit of unexpected magic in my life.”
Bonham Carter’s new beau wasRye Dag Holmboe, who is 21 years her junior and whom shecalled “magic.“Though they have asimilar age gapto that ofRoddy Llewellynand Princess Margaret, Bonham Carter’s character onThe Crown, the Oscar nominee said that her real-life romance didn’t give her insight into playing the royal.
“It’s strange, though,” Bonham Carter toldThe Timesin November 2019. “It was odd timing that I seem to have a similar age gap as her, but I think it would have happened whether I was playing her or not.”
October 31, 2020: Helena Bonham Carter looks back at her relationship with Tim Burton
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While chatting withThe Guardian, Bonham Carter looked back at her and Burton’s earliest days and discussed their current co-parenting dynamic.
“It’s taken us some time to adjust, but I think it’s really very good now. And the kids are fine, they get to have a dual life. At first, it’s a horrible thing to get used to, not having your children around [when you share custody]. 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,” she shared.
While they are still very much a part of each other’s lives, and Burton’s name came up frequently during her interview, the actress wouldn’t reveal why they broke up. “Oh, I can’t talk about that. Good try, though,” she said. “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.”
April 6, 2021: Helena Bonham Carter says she thought Tim Burton was going to propose to her
Though she has said they never felt the need to marry, Bonham Carter admitted that she once thought Burton would propose to her.In an essay forHarper’s BazaarUK, she wrote aboutAlice in Wonderlandand her relationship with the director.
“Back in 2008, my ex Tim Burton asked me to have a meeting at his office. This was unusual, for, at the time, I shared a home with him and our two young children down the other end of the road,” she wrote. “What was so important that he couldn’t ask me over Cheerios? Seated at his desk, he announced quite formally: ‘I have something very important to ask you.’ "
“At this point I thought he was going to ask me to marry him,” she continued. " ‘I wonder if you would consider playing the Red Queen in my film ofAlice In Wonderland?’ and before I could respond, he shoved a sketch toward me. ‘Look, it’s got to be you because I’ve drawn you without intending to.’ It was a sketch of an overly large-headed scowling queen. Frankly, this was better than a marriage proposal.”
December 13, 2022: Helena Bonham Carter recalls “painful” Tim Burton breakup
Bonham Carter went into “mourning” after her split from Burton.
“We should bring back a uniform for mourning because it gives an indication to people that you’re not yourself and nor should you be yourself,” she said during an interview on theTherapy Workspodcast. “We have to honor and respect loss. We have to press pause.”
TheHarry Potteralum referred to her breakup as a “divorce,” despite never having tied the knot with Burton.
“I went through a very painful divorce,” she said. “It was a long-lasting thing. That’s the other thing, it’s not that finite. It never ends. Even if you divorce somebody, it’s a kind of marriage if you have children with them. The relationship has to change. It’s a very complicated thing how to share the children.”
source: people.com
