Holland Taylor Reveals Why She and Sarah Paulson Still Keep Separate Homes After More Than a Decade Together

After more than a decade together, Holland Taylor and Sarah Paulson have developed a relationship that does not follow the traditional expectations many people associate with long-term couples.

Despite their enduring romance, the two actresses have maintained separate homes, an arrangement that has attracted considerable curiosity over the years.

Now, Taylor has offered a closer look at how their relationship works and why having different residences does not necessarily mean spending less time together.

During an appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show, the actress discussed the practical realities of maintaining a relationship while both partners pursue demanding careers.

Her explanation revealed that their living arrangements are more flexible than some people might expect.

Although they have separate properties, the couple frequently stays together whenever their professional commitments allow.

And one surprising detail about their current situation suggests that their arrangement has evolved over time.

A Relationship That Challenges Traditional Expectations

For many couples, moving into the same home is considered a natural step in a serious relationship.

Sharing a residence often becomes associated with commitment, stability, and the decision to build a future together.

But Taylor and Paulson have demonstrated that those expectations do not necessarily apply to every partnership.

The actresses have remained together for years while preserving individual living spaces.

Rather than treating separate homes as an obstacle, they have described the arrangement as something that works with their personalities and professional responsibilities.

Their approach has generated interest because it differs from the conventional image of a long-term celebrity relationship.

Yet both women have spoken about the arrangement without suggesting that it reflects a lack of affection or commitment.

Instead, their explanations emphasize flexibility, independence, and the importance of spending meaningful time together.

What Holland Taylor Revealed About Their Living Situation

During her conversation on The Drew Barrymore Show, Taylor explained that their careers play an important role in determining how much time they can spend together.

Both actresses have professional obligations that can require them to be in different places.

As a result, their relationship involves adapting to changing schedules rather than following a fixed domestic routine.

Taylor described their approach in straightforward terms.

“Well we do as much time as we possibly can, because work takes us apart constantly,”

Her remarks highlighted a distinction between maintaining separate residences and choosing to live entirely separate lives.

For Taylor and Paulson, the existence of different homes does not prevent them from sharing extended periods together.

The arrangement gives them options when work takes either actress away from the other.

And when their schedules align, they make use of those opportunities to be together.

Their New York Arrangement Is More Connected Than It Sounds

One of the details Taylor discussed involved her apartment in New York City.

Although the couple maintains individual residences, Paulson regularly stays at Taylor’s apartment when she is in the city.

Taylor explained:

“But I have an apartment here [in New York City], and [Paulson] stays here in my apartment when she’s here.”

The arrangement illustrates how their relationship functions in practice.

Maintaining separate homes does not mean they insist on staying apart whenever they are in the same location.

Instead, the residences provide flexibility while allowing them to share space when circumstances make that convenient.

For two people whose work can involve different schedules and locations, that flexibility has become an important part of their routine.

Their approach is therefore less about physical distance and more about maintaining a living arrangement that accommodates both their careers.

A Surprising Change in Los Angeles

Taylor also revealed that their situation in Los Angeles has recently become somewhat different from the arrangement they previously maintained.

The actresses have separate houses there, but Paulson’s plans involving a new property have affected where she has been staying.

Taylor explained:

“In LA, I have a separate house from hers, but her new house, she hasn’t moved into.

“It’s been almost a year since she’s been staying in my house in LA, too. So we’re together as much as geography and our jobs let us be.”

That detail adds an interesting dimension to the couple’s reputation for living separately.

Although they still maintain individual properties, they have also experienced a prolonged period of sharing Taylor’s Los Angeles home.

The situation demonstrates that their preferences are not governed by an inflexible rule.

They can preserve separate residences while also living together for extended periods when it suits their circumstances.

How Their Romance First Began

The history of Taylor and Paulson’s relationship stretches back considerably further than their public discussions about living arrangements.

The two actresses first met in 2005.

However, their relationship did not become romantic immediately.

Nearly a decade passed before their connection developed into a romance in early 2015.

They publicly confirmed their relationship in March 2016.

Since then, their partnership has attracted attention from audiences interested in both their careers and their personal lives.

One aspect that has remained particularly intriguing is their decision to maintain separate homes despite the length of their relationship.

For some observers, the arrangement appears unconventional.

For Taylor and Paulson, however, it has become an established part of the way they navigate life together.

Sarah Paulson Previously Explained Their Decision

Taylor is not the only person who has spoken publicly about the couple’s domestic arrangement.

During a 2024 appearance on the SmartLess podcast, Paulson discussed why they do not follow the usual expectation of sharing one permanent residence.

She was direct about the fact that their living situation differs from that of many couples.

“Yeah, we don’t live together. That’s the secret to it. We spend plenty of time together, but we don’t live in the same house.

“[We’ve] been together for a long time now. And part of it has to do with, we’re together when we want to be and we’re not when we don’t.”

Her explanation suggested that their arrangement is based on personal preference rather than a difficulty maintaining their relationship.

Both actresses value the ability to determine how they spend their time.

And neither has presented the arrangement as something that diminishes their connection.

Why Personal Space Became Important

Paulson also explained that the two women entered their relationship with different experiences of living with romantic partners.

She had previously shared homes with partners.

Taylor, by contrast, had spent much of her life without regularly cohabiting with someone in a long-term relationship.

That difference influenced how Paulson understood their domestic preferences.

She explained:

“So to get to be her age and sort of not having really cohabited with someone for a long time — I think it was a lot to sort of have me and all my me-ness in her space.”

Her comments acknowledged that sharing a home can require substantial adjustments.

People develop routines, habits, and preferences over time.

Introducing another person into an established living environment can change those patterns, even when the relationship itself is loving and secure.

For Paulson, respecting those differences became part of understanding what worked for them as a couple.

Separate Homes Do Not Mean Separate Lives

One of the clearest themes in both actresses’ explanations is that maintaining separate properties should not be confused with avoiding each other’s company.

Taylor has described how Paulson stays at her New York apartment when she visits the city.

She has also explained that Paulson has spent an extended period at her Los Angeles house.

Those details show that their living situation is more connected than the simple description of living apart might suggest.

They maintain the option of independent spaces without insisting on physical separation.

The arrangement allows them to adapt to the demands of their professional lives.

It also reflects the fact that their preferences have developed through years of knowing each other.

Rather than treating cohabitation as a necessary measure of commitment, they have described a partnership shaped by their own circumstances.

There Is One Thing Paulson Does Not Want to Give Up

Although Paulson has spoken positively about having separate homes, she has also revealed something that might surprise people who assume she prefers considerable physical distance.

During her podcast conversation, the possibility of sharing a home while sleeping in separate bedrooms was raised.

Paulson made it clear that she did not favor that idea.

Her explanation was affectionate and personal.

“No, because my favourite thing to do — we fall asleep holding hands. I like to sleep near her,”

The comment revealed an important distinction in how she approaches their relationship.

Having independent residences is something she values.

But when the couple spends the night together, she enjoys being physically close to Taylor.

That preference adds warmth to a living arrangement that might otherwise appear unusually independent.

The Difference Between Independence and Distance

The contrast between separate homes and falling asleep holding hands is one of the most revealing aspects of Paulson’s explanation.

It suggests that independence and closeness are not necessarily opposing priorities.

A person can appreciate having a personal living space while also enjoying the comfort of sharing intimate moments with a partner.

For Taylor and Paulson, those preferences appear to coexist.

Their relationship does not require them to choose permanently between independence and togetherness.

Instead, they have developed a routine that allows room for both.

That flexibility helps explain why their arrangement cannot be understood simply by asking whether they live at the same address.

The more meaningful question is how they choose to spend their time and maintain their connection.

How Their Careers Influence Their Relationship

Both Taylor and Paulson work in an industry where professional commitments can affect personal schedules.

Acting opportunities may require time away from home, and their responsibilities do not always place them in the same location.

Taylor directly acknowledged this challenge when she explained that work frequently separates them.

Their domestic arrangement provides flexibility when those circumstances arise.

Rather than organizing their relationship around one shared residence, they can adjust their time together depending on where their work takes them.

That approach also helps explain why they have maintained homes in more than one city.

The practical demands of their careers are closely connected to their personal decisions.

While their arrangement may seem unusual to people with more predictable routines, the actresses have described it as suitable for the lives they lead.

Why Their Relationship Continues to Attract Attention

Celebrity relationships often generate interest because audiences are curious about how well-known couples manage their private lives.

In Taylor and Paulson’s case, that curiosity has frequently centered on the length of their relationship and their decision to maintain separate homes.

The arrangement challenges an assumption that a serious romantic partnership must eventually lead to permanent cohabitation.

Yet the couple has remained together since 2015.

Their public comments also suggest that they have given considerable thought to what makes their relationship comfortable for both partners.

Rather than presenting their approach as a universal solution, they have explained why it works for them.

That distinction is important because different couples have different expectations, responsibilities, and personal preferences.

What feels natural for one relationship may not be suitable for another.

What Has Changed Over the Years

Another interesting aspect of Taylor’s recent comments is that the couple’s living situation has not remained completely unchanged.

Paulson’s extended stay at Taylor’s Los Angeles house illustrates how circumstances can alter an established routine.

Even couples who value independent residences may spend substantial periods sharing the same space.

For Taylor and Paulson, the existence of separate properties appears to provide options rather than strict boundaries.

Their relationship has continued while their practical arrangements have adjusted to changing circumstances.

That adaptability may be one of the reasons their explanations sound less complicated than some people expect.

They have not described their approach as a rigid set of requirements.

Instead, they have emphasized spending time together whenever their lives allow it.

A Different Understanding of Long-Term Commitment

For some couples, sharing a home is an important expression of commitment.

For others, maintaining individual residences may be compatible with an equally meaningful partnership.

Taylor and Paulson’s relationship illustrates the second possibility.

Their decisions reflect a combination of professional demands, personal histories, and individual preferences.

Paulson’s comments about Taylor’s experience with cohabitation suggest that understanding each other’s habits has been important.

Her affection for sleeping beside Taylor also demonstrates that their arrangement is not defined by emotional distance.

Meanwhile, Taylor’s description of their time together shows that they make an effort to share space when their schedules permit.

These details present a relationship that is unconventional in some respects but familiar in others.

Like many couples, they are balancing personal needs with the desire to spend time together.

The Detail That Makes Their Story Especially Touching

Perhaps the most memorable part of Paulson’s explanation is the contrast between how they organize their homes and how they spend their nights together.

She has been open about valuing separate residences.

But she has also described the simple pleasure of falling asleep while holding Taylor’s hand.

It is an intimate detail that offers a different perspective on a relationship frequently discussed in terms of its unconventional arrangements.

For Paulson, having her own home does not mean wanting to be distant from the person she loves.

And for Taylor, maintaining separate properties has not prevented the couple from spending extended periods together.

Their explanations reveal a partnership that has developed around what feels comfortable for both women.

More Than a Decade Together, With Their Own Rules

Holland Taylor and Sarah Paulson’s relationship began romantically in early 2015 and became public the following year.

Since then, the actresses have continued to attract attention for the way they balance independence with a long-term commitment.

Their separate residences have remained a subject of curiosity, but their own descriptions show that the reality is more flexible than the headlines might suggest.

Paulson stays at Taylor’s New York apartment when she is in the city.

She has also spent an extended period at Taylor’s Los Angeles home while her own new house remains unoccupied.

And despite their preference for having individual living spaces, Paulson has made it clear that she enjoys sleeping close to her partner.

Those details offer a more complete understanding of their relationship.

They are not following a conventional domestic arrangement, but they are also not defining their partnership through distance.

Instead, they have found a way to accommodate their careers, personal preferences, and desire for closeness.

After more than a decade together, Taylor and Paulson continue to demonstrate that the practical details of a relationship do not always have to match traditional expectations.

And perhaps the most revealing part of their story is that, despite keeping separate homes, one of their favorite moments together remains something remarkably simple: falling asleep while holding hands.