Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter: 13 years together, never married, split in 2014
Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter never married despite sharing thirteen years, two children, and six films together. The gothic director and the eccentric British actress split in 2014, describing it as amicable, and have since built separate lives while remaining committed co-parents. As Helena later reflected, the relationship may have ended, but its value did not.
Source: Getty Images
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Tim Burton (Timothy Walter Burton) and Helena Bonham Carter were together from 2001 to 2014, thirteen years, without ever marrying.
- They have two children: son Billy Raymond, born 4 October 2003, and daughter Nell, born 15 December 2007.
- Their split was confirmed in December 2014 and described by Carter's publicist as "amicable".
- Helena cited her inability to make a lifelong promise as the reason they never wed.
- Tim Burton has since separated from Italian actress Monica Bellucci (2022–2025); Helena is currently with writer Rye Dag Holmboe.
Profile summary
Full name | Timothy Walter Burton | Helena Bonham Carter |
Born | 25 August 1958, Burbank, California | 26 May 1966, London, England |
Nationality | American | British |
Occupation | Film director, producer, screenwriter | Actress |
Known for | Beetlejuice, Batman, Edward Scissorhands | Fight Club, Harry Potter, The Crown |
Together | 2001–2014 | 2001–2014 |
Married? | No | No |
Children | Billy Raymond, Nell | Billy Raymond, Nell |
Current partner | Single (as of Sept 2026) | Rye Dag Holmboe (2018–present) |
How did Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter meet?
Though Bonham Carter and Burton never married, they became creative and romantic partners after he directed her in 2001's Planet of the Apes.
The introduction was memorable from the very first phone call. Helena recalled in the documentary Tim Burton: Life in the Line that his opening line was:
I don't want you to take this the wrong way, but you're the first person I thought of to play the lead chimp in my movie Planet of the Apes.
He added,
I have this feeling that you like to get away from what you look like.
Burton was allegedly still in a long-term relationship with Lisa Marie, who also had a minor role in the film, at the time he met Bonham Carter. When Burton ended that relationship to pursue Bonham Carter, Lisa Marie sued him for palimony, claiming he had promised to support her for life. Burton had already paid her a $5.5 million settlement, which she later sought to rescind; in August 2008 the California Court of Appeal dismissed her case.
Their unconventional living arrangement
Rather than sharing a single home, Bonham Carter told The Telegraph in 2010:
We just have two houses knocked together because mine was too small. 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.
Helena later clarified in the documentary:
He came through to my side of the house. We had, famously, two houses next door to each other, but it was basically one house.
Films they made together
Source: Getty Images
Their collaborations as director and actress include Big Fish (2003), Corpse Bride (2005), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007), Alice in Wonderland (2010), and Dark Shadows (2012).
Why didn't Tim Burton marry Helena Bonham Carter?
Years after their split, when Helena appeared on Jo Whiley's BBC Radio 2 show, she attributed the decision to remain unmarried to her Gemini nature. But she later went further.
Appearing on the Fashion Neurosis with Bella Freud podcast, the actress said they never tied the knot because "I honestly can't make that promise."
We're not meant to be forever. I've never actually got married because I can't honestly make that promise, because I just don't think it's a healthy one.
She also admitted her ADHD would make organising a wedding a challenge: "I'd be so flipping obsessive every single choice," she said.
Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter's children
Their first child, Billy Raymond, was born on 4 October 2003 in London. He was named after his grandfathers, carrying on the name for both sides of the family.
Helena gave birth to their second child, daughter Nell Burton, on 15 December 2007, at age 41. Nell was named "after all the Helens in the family", Bonham Carter told The Jewish Journal in 2008.
Johnny Depp is the godfather of the former couple's children.
Billy has had cameos in many of Burton's films, including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, and Dark Shadows.
What happened with Helena Bonham Carter and Tim Burton?
The pair announced their separation in December 2014, although they had split "amicably" earlier in the year and "continued to be friends and co-parent their children", per The Hollywood Reporter.
Despite the pain, she sought perspective. She told Red magazine in September 2015:
Our relationship was always somewhat special, and I think it'll always remain special. 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.
Are Helena and Tim still friends?
Source: Getty Images
While Helena and Tim are no longer together, they have continued to co-parent and remain friends. Reflecting on their split in 2020, the actress told The Guardian:
It's taken us some time to adjust, but I think it's really very good now. The kids are fine; they get to have a dual life.
Helena has also said:
We really do get on, so that's good. I understand him very well, and he understands me. It might be easier to work together without being together any more. He always only cast me with great embarrassment.
Who is Tim Burton's partner now?
After Helena, Burton sparked a romance with Italian actress Monica Bellucci. The couple, who began their romance in October 2022, announced their separation in a statement on 19 September 2025.
Bellucci confirmed her romance with Burton in 2023, and he cast her in the 2024 comedy horror Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, the sequel to his 1988 blockbuster. As of September 2026, Burton is listed as single, his partners having been Lisa Marie (1992–2001), Helena Bonham Carter (2001–2014), and Monica Bellucci (2022–2025).
Helena, meanwhile, is currently dating historian Rye Dag Holmboe. The pair began dating in 2018, and he is 21 years younger than Carter.
Latest news
Tim Burton drew Helena Bonham Carter's life in colour. The Crown alum gave a rare look into her life with the film director in the documentary series Tim Burton: Life in the Line, released in October 2025, reflecting on their personal relationship that lasted from 2001 to 2014, as well as their professional relationship in Hollywood.
The docuseries also contains conversations with Burton's closest collaborators, a group that includes Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenna Ortega, Danny Elfman, Danny DeVito, Christoph Waltz, Christopher Walken, and Mia Wasikowska.
Helena also opened up in the documentary about the emotional stakes of their creative partnership.
Helena's Seven Dials Mystery and upcoming projects
Helena Bonham Carter has a starring role in the Netflix adaptation of Agatha Christie's Seven Dials, released on 15 January 2026, in which she portrays Lady Caterham, a character reimagined for the adaptation of the original 1929 novel.
FAQs
- Are Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter still married? They were never married. Despite thirteen years together, the pair did not wed, and they officially separated in 2014.
- Why didn't Tim Burton marry Helena Bonham Carter? Helena has said plainly: "I've never actually got married because I can't honestly make that promise, because I just don't think it's a healthy one."
- How many children do Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter have? They share two children: son Billy and daughter Nell. Billy was born in 2003 and Nell in 2007.
- Are Helena and Tim still friends? Yes. Their publicist confirmed they separated amicably "and have continued to be friends and co-parent their children."
- Who is Tim Burton dating now? As of September 2026, Burton is single. He and Monica Bellucci announced their separation in a statement to AFP on 19 September 2025.
- Who is Helena Bonham Carter with now? Helena has been with Rye Dag Holmboe since 2018.
- How old was Helena Bonham Carter when she had her children? She was 37 when Billy was born in 2003 and gave birth to her second child at age 41 when Nell arrived in December 2007.
- Did Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter really live in separate houses? Bonham Carter has said they had two houses knocked together — a nod to their appreciation for personal space. "We just have two houses knocked together because mine was too small," she told The Telegraph in 2010.
We also highlighted facts about Olivia Wilde’s relationship history, including her early marriage to Tao Ruspoli and her nearly decade-long partnership with Jason Sudeikis. The actress also dated Harry Styles and is currently in a relationship with British art dealer Caspar Jopling.
Wilde eloped with Ruspoli at age 19 in a private ceremony held on an abandoned school bus in Virginia. Her later romances with several high-profile figures continued to attract public attention, particularly her relationship with Styles and her engagement to Sudeikis.
Source: Legit.ng
