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Sarah Paulson has vehemently defended her relationship with long-term partner Holland Taylor, now 83, against people who criticize the couple's significant age difference.
The 51-year-old Emmy-winning actress has repeatedly addressed the public fascination with their romance, insisting that love should never be judged by age.
Paulson and Taylor have been together since 2015, becoming one of Hollywood's most enduring couples.
Over the years, their relationship has attracted a huge amount of public attention because of the more than 30-year age gap between them.
Speaking to Harper's Bazaar, Paulson made it clear that she has little patience for people who speak negatively about their relationship. She passionately defended Taylor, saying she becomes fiercely protective whenever anyone makes cruel remarks about her 11-year relationship.
The actress believes much of the criticism stems from society's discomfort around aging, saying: "Our own ageist thinking and the idea that to be old is to cease to have any desire."
Defending her partner, Paulson added: “Anybody says anything about any person I love in a way that is disrespectful or cruel and I want to cut a b***h."
According to the Goldfinch star, many people struggle with the idea that older adults can still experience romance, passion, and fulfilling relationships.
Despite the occasional negativity, Paulson has said that the overwhelming response to her relationship has been positive. She acknowledged that being in the public eye can make personal relationships feel like public property, but she has remained committed to living life on her own terms rather than according to other people's expectations.
In an interview with The New York Times, the actress explained: “My choices in romantic partners have not been conventional, and therefore the idea that it is 'other' makes it compelling.”
Paulson added: “If my life choices had to be predicated based on what was expected of me from a community on either side, that’s going to make me feel really straitjacketed, and I don’t want to feel that.
“What I can say absolutely is that I am in love, and that person happens to be Holland Taylor.”
More than a decade after they first went public, Paulson and Taylor continue to challenge stereotypes surrounding age-gap relationships. Their willingness to speak openly about ageism has resonated with many fans, helping to spark wider conversations about outdated attitudes toward aging and romance.
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Holland Taylor has opened up about her relationship with Sarah Paulson.
In a new interview with Page Six, the 80-year-old talked about the secret to sustaining her eight-year relationship with Paulson.
"I think we each follow our own path so we’re not exactly the same," the Two and a Half Men alum, told the outlet at the 2023 Second Stage Theater Fall Gala, which honored the 48-year-old American Horror Story star last week (November 6).
The actress also stated that it's all about "balance" when it comes to the couple.
"We do some things separately so everyone gets to be true to what they believe," she continued. "She’s much more social, and I like a little bit of alone time, so I have that. She spends some time with friends and not with me, so it’s a good balance."
Despite their 32-year age gap and their busy schedules, it seems as though the pair have learned to prioritize each other as well as keep their relationship as private as possible while still enjoying themselves as much as possible.
However, that doesn't mean it hasn't come without its obstacles.
Being in the public eye means that the couple have been forced to defend their relationship, especially over their massive age gap.
"If anyone wants to spend any time thinking I’m strange for loving the most spectacular person on the planet, then that’s their problem," Paulson told Modern Luxury’s June issue via PEOPLE. "I’m doing just fine."
The Ratched star also noted that earlier on in their courtship, she was repeatedly told that her romance with Taylor would have an impact on her career, which made her skeptical about being so public with it.
"Early on, when people found out I was with [Taylor], some said: 'I think you have to be careful, I’m afraid it’s going to affect your career negatively,'" Paulson told The Edit back in 2017. "I was like, what? It never occurred to me at all."
And even when she was made aware of the possible loss of opportunities, she didn't care. Instead, she stayed loud and proud about her love.
"It occurred to me, 'Should I not?' And then I thought, 'Why would I not?'" Paulson continued. "The fact I’m having this thought is wrong. But I had a moment of societal concern; wondering if, maybe, people who didn’t know that about me would be like, 'Wait, what?' But then, you know, I did it anyway."
"My life choices are, um, unconventional. I’m with a much older person and people find that totally fascinating and odd, and, to me, it’s the least interesting thing about me," she added before going on to say: "But I do feel a bit unconventional. I am a woman of a certain age who chose not to have children, and who has made my career my priority. I am the captain of my own ship, and I’ve never looked to anyone else to validate that, or tell me it’s okay."
Since then, the pair have gone from strength to strength, appearing on numerous red carpets together while also giving us some nuggets of inspiration of what a healthy and private relationship looks like.
Taking to Instagram back in 2021, Paulson posted a black-and-white photograph in honor of Taylor’s birthday.
"All roads lead me to this face, those eyes, that soul," she captioned the candid shot. "You are, quite simply- everything to me. Here’s looking at you, kid. Today. Tomorrow. Always."
The star also added: "(If you don’t like this picture, you are an idiot, so don’t get mad when you see it. I even made it black and white since you prefer it. So shhhhhh. It’s a perfect picture of a perfect person) HAPPY BIRTHDAY DARLING."
We have no choice but to stan!
American Horror Story actress Sarah Paulson has opened up about why people are so preoccupied with the age gap between herself and her partner of six years, Holland Taylor.
Speaking to writer Roxane Gay, author of The New York Times best-selling collection of essays Bad Feminist, she said per Harper's Bazaar:
“To feel that I belong to anyone other than a person I would like to belong to, like Holland or my dog or my best friend or my sister … a bunch of strangers claiming me as their own feels a little confusing. Since I’m not an expert at figuring out how to move around it, I end up giving more than I want to sometimes.”
Take a look at this hilarious interview Sarah Paulson did with Ellen Degeneres, in which she insisted that she and pop star Rihanna were friends:
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Gay then referenced the age gap between 45-year-old Paulson and 77-year-old Holland, asking Paulson why she thought people were so caught up on it.
Paulson responded saying she believed it stemmed from society's reluctance to accept mortality, but also reflects “our own ageist thinking and the idea that to be old is to cease to have any desire.”
While people have generally accepted the pair's relationship and reacted to it in a positive way, Paulson made sure to point out, “anybody says anything about any person I love in a way that is disrespectful or cruel and I want to cut a b*tch.”
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Paulson also commented on her love life and previous romantic partners in a 2016 interview with The New York Times. “My choices in romantic partners have not been conventional, and therefore the idea that it's ‘other’ makes it compelling," she said.
"If my life choices had to be predicated based on what was expected of me from a community on either side, that’s going to make me feel really straitjacketed, and I don’t want to feel that."
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She continued, "What I can say absolutely is that I am in love, and that person happens to be Holland Taylor."
Who can argue with that? Here's hoping the pair will enjoy another six years together (and many more to come).
When it comes to Hollywood romance, age ain't nothing but a number. Ryan Reynolds is 11 years older than his his wife, Blake Lively. Harrison Ford is 22 years older than his wife, Calista Flockhart. And Holland Taylor is 32 years than her girlfriend, Sarah Paulson.
Sarah Paulson, 43, is known for her work on American Horror Story, 12 Years A Slave and The People vs. O.J. Simpson, where she won the Emmy for playing prosecutor Marcia Clark. Holland Taylor, 75, won an Emmy for her role in The Practice, and had memorable parts in Legally Blonde and Two and A Half Men.
Paulson told The New York Times that she met Taylor at a dinner party about a decade ago. At the time, she was dating actress Cherry Jones, who was 18 years her senior, but thought Taylor was "probably the most exquisitely beautiful woman I'd ever seen." A few years later, they crossed paths recording videos for a reproductive rights organization. After sliding into each other's DM's, they went on a dinner date, and the rest is history.
Due to the 32-year age gap, Paulson was wary of making their relationship public. "Early on, when people found out I was with [Taylor], some said, ‘I think you have to be careful, I’m afraid it’s going to affect your career negatively,'" Paulson told The Edit. "I was like, what? It never occurred to me at all... And then I thought, ‘Why would I not?’ The fact I’m having this thought is wrong." In 2016, the pair announced to the world they were dating. Paulson told The New York Times, "What I can say absolutely is that I am in love, and the person happens to be Holland Taylor."
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On social media, the couple shared their affection for each other, especially during the 2016 Emmy's. Taylor had to stay in New York City for a play, so Paulson attended the event with the real Marcia Clark. On a red carpet interview with E!, she said, "If you’re watching, Holland Taylor, I love you!" Taylor responded on Twitter, saying, "If I'm WATCHING??? YES, I'm watching--!!! good LORD! ... I LOVE you!!!"
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Since the couple went public with their relationship, some people have criticized the 32-year age gap, which, let's face it, is pretty big. Now Paulson has clapped back at the critics, in the June issue of Modern Luxury magazine, saying, "If anyone wants to spend any time thinking I’m strange for loving the most spectacular person on the planet, then that’s their problem. I’m doing just fine."
The actress went on, reflecting, "Every once in a while, I'll go, ‘Wow. [I'm 43.] That's seven years shy of 50. That's the big five-oh. But then I go, ‘Stop running seven years down the road. You have no idea what your life will look like and where you'll be.' And that's just what makes life so sweet. You cross your fingers, take a deep breath and jump. And that's really all you can do."
Well said! Have fun, you crazy kids.
In a related story, a teenage bride defends her relationship with man 34 years older who she met online...
Holland Taylor has explained why she and longtime girlfriend Sarah Paulson will never get married.
The actresses began dating in 2015, and a decade later, the couple remains as strong as ever. However, despite their deep connection, the two have no plans to tie the knot.
During an appearance on Andy Cohen's SiriusXM show last year, Taylor, 82, revealed why marriage isn't on the horizon. “I don’t think [we’ll get married],” she said. “No. We’ve never talked about it with any interest.”
The former Two and a Half Men star noted that legal recognition of their relationship doesn’t hold the same significance for them as it does for others.
“It doesn’t seem to mean to [us] what it means to a lot of people,” Taylor explained. She did, however, clarify that if they felt inclined, they would marry. “We would [tie the knot] if [we] wanted to,” she said.
Cohen, 57, gushed over the couple's love story, to which Taylor agreed, saying their bond is built on shared interests and meaningful differences.
“We do have a wonderful resonance. We are very interested in the same kinds of things, and yet we share big differences,” she said.
One of those differences is their 32-year age gap, which Taylor admitted sometimes worries her for the American Horror Story actress' sake.
“A lot of the things that she is going through that are very emotionally important to her right now, I went through 30 years ago or 40 years ago,” Taylor said.
Despite this, she sees the benefit of their generational divide, offering Paulson, 50, insight from her own experiences.
The Ratched star has frequently expressed her admiration for her partner and shared what she believes has contributed to their successful relationship during an appearance on the Smartless podcast.
“We’ve been together for a long time now, and I think part of it has to do with, we’re together when we wanna be and we’re not when we don’t,” she explained, revealing that living in separate homes has helped maintain their happiness.
While they enjoy having their own space, Paulson emphasized their physical affection. “We never considered just having separate bedrooms because we like to fall asleep holding hands,” she said, adding, “I don’t want to be around her the rest of the time. Just kidding.”
Paulson also reflected on their different past dating experiences. Taylor had never been in a long-term relationship before their romance, while Paulson had been in two relationships lasting more than five years.
“I think it was a lot to sort of all of a sudden have me and all my neediness in her space,” Paulson joked.
Interestingly, the two stars had met years before they began dating. On The View in 2023, Paulson shared that they had attended a dinner together with actor Allison Janney and the late screenwriter Buck Henry.
During the evening, Henry took a photo of the trio in a Lamborghini, which he later sent to everyone. “It was on my refrigerator in my little apartment in West Hollywood for 10 years,” Paulson remembered, cited by The Independent. “There she was in my kitchen.”
When asked if she had a crush on Taylor at the time, Paulson admitted she didn’t, though she jokingly added: “Maybe something was percolating and it was unbeknownst to me.”
Sarah Paulson has celebrated Holland Taylor's birthday with a heartwarming post declaring her love for her long-term partner.
Sharing a gorgeous photo of Holland on her 79th birthday, Paulson started the caption by hailing the Two and a Half Men star as the love of her life and "the only one".
Writing to her 4 million followers, the 47-year-old American Horror Story star wrote: "Love of my life. The one. The only one. January 14th is my favorite day of the year - a day to unabashedly celebrate you @hollandvtaylor."
She concluded the post by saying: "I am the luckiest of the lucky. I love you only. Happy Birthday magical poet darling."
The post has since amassed over 530,000 'likes' and more than 4,000 comments from fans sharing their birthday wishes with Taylor, as well as gushing over Paulson's romantic post.
Actor Cheyenne Jackson commented: "Omg my heart. That was so beautiful, Sarah."
And American playwright Halley Feiffer wrote: "Thank you for showing us how it’s done!!! I love you both so very goddamn much."
Paulson's loving words even left Taylor "speechless", as she commented on the post saying: "Darling, you leave me speechless... as your beauty and artistry and dearness leaves me every single day... I love you more every birthday! It doesn't seem possible, but you make it so..."
Paulson and Taylor have been in a relationship since 2015, and in an interview with the New York Times, the Ratched star revealed that she first met her now-girlfriend at a dinner party in the mid-2000s. At the party, Paulson said that she immediately thought Taylor was "probably the most exquisitely beautiful woman I’d ever seen."
Back in 2020, Paulson also addressed those who critique the couple's 32-year age gap, telling Harper's Bazaar that it reflects "our own ageist thinking and the idea that to be old is to cease to have any desire."
She added: "Anybody says anything about any person I love in a way that is disrespectful or cruel and I want to cut a b***h."