Helena Bonham Carter and Tim Burton: No longer a couple

Always known for being fiercely independent individuals, Helena Bonham Carter and Tim Burton have confirmed they are no longer a couple. After 13 years together, the eccentric duo have “separated amicably earlier this year and have continued to be friends and co-parent their children,” Carter’s publicist told People, adding the usual request for privacy.

The pair, who never married, first met when Burton, 56, directed Carter, 48, in “Planet of the Apes” in 2001. They subsequently went on to be partners in several films, including “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “Sweeney Todd,” “Alice in Wonderland” and “Dark Shadows.”

Burton’s latest directing effort, “Big Eyes,” starring Amy Adams and Christoph Waltz, opens in theaters on Christmas Day.

The former couple are the parents of son Billy, 11, and daughter Nell, 7.

Attending the Wizarding World of Harry Potter expansion at Universal Orlando Resort in June with Burton and their children, Carter told People that Burton simply represented “love” to her.

Recently, I interviewed Burton for “Big Eyes,” and now wish I had asked him what Carter thought of his new movie about Margaret and Walter Keane. I might have learned about this split a bit earlier!