Life Looks Different For These Celeb Couples Who Happily Live Apart

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Every relationship is its own machine, and every machine runs differently. Some couples love nothing more than spending every second they can together, while others like to have some space. Having separate spaces isn't uncommon. From the mid-19th century until the 1950s, it was even seen as healthy for married couples to have separate beds. The concept, now called "sleep divorce," is still relatively popular today. Even some celebrities take part in the practice; Cameron Diaz described her sleeping situation with Benji Madden on the "Lipstick on the Rim" podcast, saying, "We should normalize separate bedrooms. I will go and sleep in my room. You go sleep in your room. I'm fine." But, for some stars, separate bedrooms aren't enough. These celebrities prefer to keep completely separate domiciles from their partners.

The reasons behind having separate houses differ, but the desire is shared across these couples, and they have all made it work. Some stay within close proximity to one another, while others are perfectly fine living thousands of miles away from the person they love, which surely takes a lot of trust and video call time. And, of course, for most people, having separate houses isn't financially feasible, but these stars have the bank accounts to ensure they can watch the TV as loud as they want or hang up their original "Dogs Playing Poker" painting by Cassius Marcellus Coolidge without having to discuss it with their significant other first.

Along with having one of the biggest celebrity age differences – Sarah Paulson is 32 years younger than Holland Taylor – the couple is also notable for living in separate homes despite being together since 2015. According to Paulson, living apart has helped the two stay together because, as she explained on the "SmartLess" podcast, Holland had never been with the same person for very long before her, and "To get to be her age and not having really cohabitated with someone for a long time, I think it was a lot to all of a sudden have me and all my me-ness in her space."

But just because they have separate homes, it doesn't mean Paulson and Holland don't spend a lot of time together. They often spend the night together, falling asleep with their hands entwined. The two expanded on how their relationship works to Entertainment Weekly, with Paulson explaining, "We are together more often than not in one home or the other." Holland added, "Back and forth. A lot of variety." Along with keeping separate abodes, Holland also prefers to work separately from Paulson, telling Variety that while studios have tried to pitch them projects to be in together, "I don't like seeing couples doing things because I'm always aware of the coupledom."

Despite marrying in 2023 and being together since 2005, "Good Morning America" host Robin Roberts and her wife, Amber Laign, have always lived in separate homes. Roberts and Laign's reasons for living apart aren't entirely by their own choice, but because of Roberts' job. While the morning news anchor joked in her autobiography, "Everybody's Got Something," "Amber and I have been a loving couple ... but we choose not to live together. Maybe that's why we've lasted almost a decade!" Part of the reason the two live apart is because of her schedule. To be ready for "Good Morning America," Roberts wakes up at 3:45 a.m. and would need to get up even earlier if she went back to her Connecticut home each day. Instead, she stays in the couple's lavish New York penthouse during the week and heads to the shared home on weekends.

Talking with E! News, Laign explained how the couple makes it work, saying, "Communication, keeping it fresh, trust—all the good pillars." Roberts opened up about the way she and Laign live their lives on "Good Morning America" (via Hello!), saying that living apart is "not by choice, but because of the work schedule. But there's a lot of trust there. And there's some people from my past I would not have done this with." The duo did get to spend more time living in one home during the COVID-19 pandemic, staying in their Connecticut home while Roberts appeared on "GMA" by setting up a mini studio in their basement. It was after Roberts returned to New York for work that she and Laign decided to wed. 

While the church-going kindergarten teacher she plays on "Abbott Elementary" may not agree with or understand her decision, Sheryl Lee Ralph and her husband, Pennsylvania State Senator Vincent Hughes keep their lives separate, with the couple living across the country from one another. Ralph and Hughes have been married since 2005, and their very different jobs have kept them apart for much of it, but they are able to make it work. Because of his government position, Hughes can't easily pick up and head to Hollywood whenever he wants, so as Ralph is the one who does most of the traveling back and forth to make sure they spend time together, telling the Philadelphia Inquirer, "I'm going to say my husband has maybe been in California, maybe, 25 times. That means I'm in Philadelphia every two weeks." 

Talking with People, Ralph explained the situation: "He has his own life. I have my own life. He has his own real career, I have my own real career." She also credited her previous marriage and, perhaps more importantly, her divorce, for making her relationship with Hughes work, saying, "If you sit in problems, you get anxious, depressed, and all the juiciness in life starts to dry up. I can't have that, because all of that will mess with my good looks!" Talking with "Entertainment Tonigh," Hughes responded to people who don't understand how their marriage works, saying, "We've been commuting ever since the beginning, and it's worked out for us, so it's cool."

Considering the harsh way Brian Cox talks about other Hollywood stars, it may not be surprising to learn that his wife, Nicole Ansari-Cox, prefers to live in a different house from the acclaimed actor, but the reality is that they both just like to have their own space. The couple, who wed in 2002, have multiple homes, and, depending on which continent they are on, have varying living situations. In London, the couple lives in two homes separated by a short walk. They also have two homes in the United States — one in Brooklyn and the other further upstate in New York — where they each have their own bedroom. 

The "Succession" star explained their thinking to The Times, saying, "Her space is very important for her and my space is very important for me." The two also go to couples therapy to help ensure their marriage continues to work, explaining on "Loose Women," "When you find a partner who is the partner, it's a great gift and you have to work to make it happen. You have to put effort in. And the great thing about couples therapy is it helps with that effort." 

The two also have an agreement that, now that Cox is done with "Succession" and their children are grown up, it's time for Ansari-Cox to return to her acting career, with The Times recounting her saying, "I've supported him for 25 years and it's my time now. Otherwise I'd leave," in 2024.