Filmmaker Tim Burton and actor Monica Bellucci, who have been very private about their relationship, have parted ways after dating for almost two years.

Tim Burton, Monica Bellucci announce split

The star couple announced their separation on Friday through a statement sent to AFP.

“It is with great respect and mutual affection that Monica Bellucci and Tim Burton have decided to separate,” the two celebrities said in a joint statement.

The news has left fans stunned since there had been no indication or report about any trouble in their relationship. The reason behind the split has not been disclosed. But the statement reveals that the breakup is mutual.

Bellucci and her Beetlejuice Beetlejuice director were first linked together in early 2023. The actor first spoke about her relationship with him with Elle France in June 2023. The couple had sparked romance rumours for months prior to that interview after Bellucci presented Burton with an award at the Lumière Film Festival in Lyon, France, in October 2022. They were also seen spending time together in Madrid in February 2023.

More about Monica Bellucci and Tim Burton’s relationship

The duo first met briefly on the red carpet at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival in France. At the time, Bellucci was married to Vincent Cassel, while Burton was in a long-term relationship with actor Helena Bonham Carter. They reconnected later at the 2022 Lumière Film Festival.

Burton and Monica made their red carpet debut as a couple at the 18th Rome Film Festival in October 2023 and also attended Rome’s Globo d’Oro Awards in July, where Bellucci received a lifetime achievement award.

Their relationship even extended into his most recent movie, with Monica starring in Burton’s Beetlejuice sequel as Dolores. The couple attended the movie’s world premiere along with the rest of the film’s cast at the 2024 Venice Film Festival in August.