Helena Bonham Carter Explains Why She Skipped Marriage with Tim Burton

Helena Bonham Carter has opened up about why she never married longtime partner Tim Burton, revealing her personal views on marriage and relationships.

The two first met in 2001 on the set of Planet of the Apes and went on to collaborate on eight films together. They shared two children, Billy Raymond and Nell, before separating in 2014.

Speaking on the Fashion Neurosis with Bella Freud podcast on December 17, the 59-year-old actress explained, “I’ve never actually gotten married because I can’t honestly make that promise because I just don’t think it’s a healthy one.”

She added that her ADHD also made the idea of planning a wedding particularly challenging. “I’ve got ADHD, so the idea of organising a wedding… I mean, it would both be a great thing, but I would be so flipping obsessive about every single choice. It would just be like, oh my god,” she said.

During their relationship, Bonham Carter and Burton became one of Hollywood’s most famous couples, collaborating on films like Big Fish, Corpse Bride, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Sweeney Todd, Alice in Wonderland, and Dark Shadows. They famously lived in adjoining homes in London, connected by a hallway, a setup that Bonham Carter has said worked well for them.

Reflecting on her separation from Burton, she credited her friends for helping her navigate the difficult period. “I was incredibly grateful for my friendships,” she said.

“I think maybe my appreciation of them got bigger because they survived and supported me through this huge sea change. Also very much so for my children because when you go through a divorce—you rely on your other people around you to help carry the family. I felt like I had to almost hitchhike on other people’s families too.”

Since 2018, Bonham Carter has been in a relationship with art historian Rye Dag Holmboe, who is 21 years younger. Speaking about their age difference, she told The Times in 2019, “Everybody ages at a different rate. My boyfriend is unbelievably mature. He’s an old soul in a young body, what more could I want? People are slightly frightened of older women, but he isn’t. Women can be very powerful when they’re older.”

Bonham Carter’s honesty sheds light on why she chose a path that differed from traditional marriage, balancing personal beliefs, neurodiversity, and her family. It also highlights the importance of supportive relationships during life changes like separation and parenting.

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