Helena Bonham Carter Shares Rare Comments on 'Painful' Split from Tim Burton

Helena Bonham Carter is reflecting on her “painful” split from Tim Burton.

The 56-year-old actress and the 64-year-old director were together from 2001 until 2014. They share two kids – son Billy, 19, and daughter Nell, 15.

In a new interview, Helena shared some rare comments on their breakup.

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“I wanted to wear something to indicate to people that I’m not my normal self,” Helena said on the Therapy Works podcast of wanting to wear all black after the split. “I’m in mourning, and I’m under reconstruction.”

She continued, “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. I think we still have trouble admitting vulnerability and there’s a judgment about it that we should be strong. We have to honor and respect loss. We have to press pause.”

Though they were together for 13 years, Helena and Tim never married, and she refers to their split as a “divorce.”

“I went through a very painful divorce. It was a long-lasting thing. That’s the other thing, it’s not that finite. It never ends,” Helena explained. “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.”

Helena then went on to recall the uncomfortable moments between she and Tim shortly after their split.

“I remember doing the school gate, and feeling I was so vulnerable,” Helena recalled. “Meeting friends was fine, but not people I don’t really know. It was like I had no skin. People don’t necessarily know how to treat you.”

Helena also said there were some challenging moments with their mutual friends.

“Sometimes friends don’t know what to do, and there’s split loyalty,” Helena said. “If you’re worried about hurting somebody, contact both sides and just check in and say, ‘Would you mind if…?’ Always respect what they had, even if it’s in your view, the past, or even if in your view, if it wasn’t a good thing anyway. The divorce is that previous relationship, and that person was theirs.”

For the past several years, Helena has been in a relationship with Rye Dag Holmboe – find out how they met!