Holland Taylor is a much-beloved character actress who has probably been in at least a dozen TV shows or movies that you’ve seen in the past year. She has seriously been in everything from Two and a Half Men to The L Word to Legally Blonde to The Truman Show and more. Holland is a very elegant 72-year-old woman, and she’s “coming out.” Except she was never really “in.” I mean, I didn’t know Holland Taylor was and is a gay woman, but then again, no one ever gossips about her in general anyway. As it turns out, Holland has been in a serious relationship for a while… and now everyone thinks her girlfriend/partner is 40-year-old Sarah Paulson.
At 72, actress Holland Taylor has found the love of her life, saying she is in her first deeply committed relationship ever.
“It’s the most wonderful, extraordinary thing that could have ever possibly happened in my life,” the actress said on WNYC’s Death, Sex & Money podcast, where she declined to name the woman she is dating. The Two and a Half Men alum said she isn’t interested in making her sexuality the topic of a political conversation.
“I haven’t come out because I am out,” she said, adding, “I live out.”
Though the actress declined to discuss her partner’s identity on the podcast, she did reveal that her love interest is a younger woman and that the pair are discussing marriage. “Given my generation it would not be something that would automatically occur to me,” Taylor said of talk of marrying her partner. “But as a symbol, as a pledge, as a plighting one’s troth, it would be a wonderful thing to do.”
I consider myself an LGBT ally and everything, but I’m probably not the best ally for May-December romances. There’s no rainbow flag to unfurl when a 72-year-old is dating a 40-year-old, you know? I guess I’ll say that… um, at least Holland’s younger lover isn’t some 19-year-old. Paulson is 40, she’s old enough to know what she’s doing, and if this relationship makes them happy, God bless. But seriously… a 32-year age difference? That is ridiculous. It’s ridiculous when it’s Mick Jagger and his latest girlfriend. And it’s ridiculous here.
Photos courtesy of Getty, WENN.
Loved her since Bosom Buddies. Glad to hear she’s happy!
I LOVED BOSOM BUDDIES!!!!!
Me too!
Came here to say this!!!
Yup I remember her from Bosom Buddies! That was a funny show.
It was.
And these 2 look incredibly happy together, so I find the criticism of people who don’t even know them to be pathetic.
They’re both talented actors and talent can be a great bond that transcends a lot of things. Holland Taylor has been “a woman of a certain age” as long as I can remember so I see her as ageless.
She’s beautiful, but I agree the age difference is … Not my thing.
Agreed. 32 years difference is staggering.
I love it. It’s brilliant. They both are free to do what they want.
@JFresh. Never said that they weren’t both free to do what they want. I don’t actually care what they do, but I just find a 32-year age difference mind-boggling – whether same-sex or heterosexual. As someone below said, that is a vastly different stage in life. Holland may be a young 72 year old now, but she is still 72. If they stay together and health issues become a relationship issue (as they always do), then that is a whole other ballgame. I’m not saying that younger couples or same-ageish couples don’t face similiar circumstances, but it is different from an emotional and practical POV.
I’m speaking of personal experience here. My husband’s grandfather married a younger woman when he was 67. He was a young 67 then, and she was 44. Within 10 years, he had a lot of cumulative health issues that his wife was not prepared to cope with as a wife. He was not the man she married anymore and even though she loved him, it was stressful to the both of them.
Maybe it won’t be love ever after, but age does come into play, even when love is passionate.
@michelleb You’re right, you didn’t say they weren’t free. It was just an associated comment I made. Definitely entitled to your opinion. And any life experience that was negative or confusing is going to color ones view. I respect what you’re saying. I guess in this case I look on the bright side? If I loved someone who was 30 years older than me, really loved them, and if we had a beautiful life together, beautiful memories, a trusting bond, all of those things that make a good relationship (which I don’t have right now, and would really love, from anyone “of age” basically!!) — it would be a pleasure to take care of him or her through any infirmities or illnesses. It would be a treasured experience actually, to see someone go through that and get a preview of what it’s like to face that stage of life. Do you know what I mean? Just looking on the bright side of it.
The younger one is apparently looking for a mother or grandmother figure in her life. How do you sleep with someone THAT much older. Doesn’t seem remotely appealing. When she starts going to bed in wool socks with Ben Gay on her knees and shoulders…youngin’ will probably SEE THE LIGHT aka the age difference clearly.
I agree. The age difference problem for me would be being able to cope with having your partner die so much earlier than you. It would be heartbreaking and you’re right, it IS a whole another ballgame.
Just because someone is attracted to people much older (15+ years) does *not* automatically mean they have “daddy” or “mommy” issues or are searching for a parental replacement! I understand that there can be huge generational differences in so-called “May-December” relationships, but there can also be many very mature, healthy reasons why two people of vastly different ages may fall in love and be together. I just find these blanket assumptions really problematic and quite frankly, discriminatory. I have dated both men and women much older and it really is quite simply that I have always been very mature for my age (whatever age I happen to be), connect in both personal life and work to a generational time before me, was born to older parents so was raised with an older generational mindset and cultural references, and really enjoy the company of people older than me. I have had and still have many close friends who are 10-15 years older than me as well. While it’s okay to have preferences, I think some pretty broad assumptions are being made here.
Yeah. Love Holland Taylor, and maybe I’m too far inside my own head, but the idea of dating a woman (or man) four years younger than my youngest offspring just creeps me out.
PS I can also, speaking of inside my own head, hear the screeching and squawking of the offspring, who would, no doubt, stage an intervention if that happened.
Ditto. The age difference creeps me out just as much as it would in the case of a 70-something woman and a 40-something man, or a 70-something man and a 40-something woman. Something about it is just… Bleh. They look like mother and daughter.
I find the age difference thing a bit much, too! But men do it all the time…so, whateva!!!!! If they love each other, and want to be together, good luck to them….but I always think of Kathie Lee Gifford and Frank. When he was 53 and she was 30, well, okay….but, when he was 84 and she was 61….yuck.. like banging Grampa…..sorry…not trying to be a jerk, just the way I feel….RIP Frank Gifford….
Love it how they think their relationship actually has a future – thinking about marriage. When its pushing through the boundary of 2 generations of age difference with 32 years , it just doesn’t.
That’s a big difference at any age, but 40 and 72…totally different stages of life.
There were rumors about Sarah and another older actress not to long ago, but turned out to be nothing. They may be just friends as well.
lucy2: Agree. That seems more of a mother daughter age difference. There seems to be Sarah rumors floating around frequently. I loved her as Sarah Palin. Anyway, if they’re in love, who am I to say you’re too old, or not old enough.
If they are dating, to each her own, but yea, the age difference is absolutely bizarre to me. On another note, I cannot wait to see Sarah play Marcia Clark in the OJ movie!
@Nancy she never played Sarah Palin, but she was in Game Change and was great!
I don’t get what the big deal is about an age difference when the younger person is 40. Clearly they are fully adult and have lived enough life to know what they want and need. No one is tricking them into something. You’re not a naive girl being fooled. So what’s the big deal?
Exactly. And if they want to be together, good for them. Period.
@Loulou I’m with you on that one. If the younger person is 40, and they’re in agreement on kids, who cares about the age difference?
And in reality, health issues can strike anyone, at any age, and have a devastating effect on any relationship, no matter how old both parties are…
Agreed and there is no imbalance of power here either.
Yeah, agree. If it was a man, I’d be mentioning how clichéd it is …. but I’m grateful that if it is SP, she’s at least middle-aged-ish and not someone who still views her prom as a defining life moment lol.
Is this any better than saying “She’s beautiful but the race difference is not my thing”
32 year age gap is no less disturbing than the mother-child marriage of the Taylor-Johnsons.
She was the only watchable part of 2 and a Half Men.
Yeah, I loved her on there. So funny. I love the episode where she’s dating the one guy cause he has a big d, then he dies on her couch, and five minutes later shes calling up another guy.
Cherry Jones was much older than Paulson, too. The girl has a type (and possibly mama issues).
Is it wrong that my first thought was mommy issues?
Yeah, that was my thought too. LT relationship with Cherry Jones, who is 20 years older.
I didn’t even know that she’s gay, which is weird because I’m a big fan of Paulson.
You are? I don’t like her as an actress very much. I only started to find her interesting when she hooked up with Cherry Jones (who is every kind of phenomenal. I’m still traumatized from her Glass Menagerie).
Sarah was with Cherry Jones as well and there a bit of a age difference. She just likes her partners older.
I didn’t even know Sarah was gay! And I’m torn on the age difference thing, to be honest.
Yeah, I agree about the age difference. I don’t think it ends up working out in a long run but hey, they are both adults so it ain’t my problem. In any case, Holland is such a beautiful woman and I LOVE her in Two Men.
Sarah was supposedly a lesbian until a year ago when she said in an interview she’s bisexual. And then she went on about how she orgasmed when Fassy kissed her on the lips, when they worked on ’12 yrs a slave’. I guess she was indeed with Pascal at one point (I didn’t believe it at the time, cause I thought she was gay)
LIke I said with the Sarkozy-Olsen weird coupling, if they’re happy, good for them.
+1
Tough one. Good for her! But also….that’s a whopper of an age difference. If this were an old dude, we’d be calling Paulson “Anna Nicole.”
Lol. True that, except seriously doubt that Holland Taylor is a billionaire!
She looks like Faye Dunaway…..that’s who I thought it was.
Wow. I thought Sarah was with Pedro Pascal.
No pedro is with me.. I wish..I have such a crush on him after Narcos.
Anybody trying to homewreck Lena Headley and Pedro Pascal will have to deal with me. Oberon + Cersei 4eva!
Narcos is awesome. can’t wait for the next season!
I refuse to believe this. I still think they were just friends and Pedro is in love with Lena Headey <3
Sarah and Pedro could very well BE just friends. I’m not trying to sell their relationship. That’s just what I thought.
She looks like her mother. And I’m not just talking about the age difference. They honestly look like mother and daughter especially in the top picture. Something about their noses and smiles maybe?
Anyway, although I’m not a big fan of age differences, I have met a lot of couples who’s age difference is a little eyebrow raising, but they have great relationships and really do love and respect each other in healthy and equal partnerships, so I’ve been trying not to judge every May-Dec relationship I see.
Ahhh. Lovely pics of Sarah and her nan
HA! You stupid 🙂 Sarah needs to stop with whatever she is doing to her face.
She’s a very pretty 72 year old. If the other actress is 40 she’s been around the block its fine. Whatever makes people happy!
Did I miss something? Why does everyone think it’s Sarah Paulson? Because of the photos?
+1
If Sarah Paulson takes a picture with another gay woman does that mean they are dating? Kind of like if a heterosexual woman takes a picture with a straight man are we to assume the are boinking???
There have been a lot of pics of them, and apparently they Instagram or twitter each other lovey messages and such. Where there’s smoke and all.
Congrats! When I read the article yesterday,it didn’t shock me. I’m glad I live in a time where there’s more tolerance in general. It’s not perfect, but it is better. As far as the Sarah goes, I’m ok with it. Sarah has dated older women in the past. She’s 40, and a grown women. Now if she were in her 20’s, then yes, I’d eyeball that.
My thoughts as well, aims!
I agree. We aren’t talking about a woman in her late teens/early 20s. We are talking about a full grown adult. This isn’t a “May/December” coupling. It is more like August/December.
Mick Jagger is probably the wrong comparison. Hes a 71 year old dating a 27 year old and the headspace of a 27 year old and a 40 year old are very different. If I had to pick a couple then maybe Patrick Stewart (75) and his wife (36), and even there the gap between them is bigger than this couples.
Good for her; hope she’s happy!
As for the age difference – it’s a big one, but IMO it’s not a big deal. A 40 year old woman is more likely to be able to hold her own with an older partner (as opposed to say, a 20 year old).
I don’t know why people care about age differences when both parties are over, say, 25ish. Especially when both are well-established people. What do either of these women stand to gain from this relationship other than love?
I gots nothing on this pairing. I could not imagine DATING someone my mother’s age so I’m just going to roll on to something more important. Specifically, what in the hot hell is that pink netted contraption in the background of the top pic? I shudder to think of the entire outfit if that is just the view from the back.
Holland Taylor is STUNNING. Wow.
They look so much alike.
Good for them.
Sarah Paulson likes older women. She was with cherry Jones before. I have no problem with this when the younger partner is that old.
Me too, Sarah is 40 years old, she’s a woman, not a 20ish girl.
You know how everyone says that Cumberbatch and his wife look like brother and sister? Well, these two look like mother and daughter.
Knew about this ages ago, Sarah sure likes the older ladies. She was with Cherry Jones for 5 years
You can’t legislate love. It comes when it comes, how it comes. A 32 year age difference is not ours to judge. These women seem committed and happy, and that is what matters. Good for them, I say. I hope I’m just as lucky when I’m 72!
Great comment – applauds!!!
All I want to say is Sarah Paulson is the bomb.
I don’t know why I love her so much, she just registers as “GOOD” to me.
So talented. So beautiful.
I love Sarah as well. She’s an incredible actress and I find her face so exquisite and beautiful. She’s aging very well, and if she got plastic surgery all I can say is congrats to her surgeon.
The age difference is pretty skeevy but going by their body language and big smiles, its looks like they are really happy together. I buy that their relationship is more genuine than other May-December couples where the younger partner looks like they want to vomit/chew glass/jump out a window rather than touch their “other half.”
meh…. men get old mentally – IME women stay young mentally and energetically. I work with a few older women, whilst I don’t find them attractive, I’m only slightly younger than Sarah and I find I have so much in common and have so many laughs with these supposed ‘grannies’. Good for them, hope they are happy together.
I can’t speak specifically to the men part of your comment but you did strike a chord with older women being young at heart. My friend is in what I guess you’d call a may-december relationship with an older woman. My friend is 31 and her girlfriend is in her early 50s. Most of the time we all forget because this woman is so active and vibrant and up for anything, she runs rings around the rest of us. On that level they are so well matched but on paper it could look a bit skeevy I guess. Still, big difference between 50 and 70+….
Sarah Paulson seems like a climber. After Cherry Jones, there were rumors of Jessica Lange. She has a type: powerful, talented, older women.
I think Paulson is a mediocre actress. But worse than her acting is that damn lisp.
Once you’re in your 30s or 40s, an age difference doesn’t seem like that big a deal to me. I think both of them are terrific and if they’re in love, then I hope they’ll be very happy!
Age differences like that make me wince. But they’re both adults. Like TRUE adults. Sarah is a 40 year old woman not someone in her early 20s dating a woman or man 32 years older. So I have no MORAL objection to a relationship like this. But it’s not for me. I can’t see myself being attracted to someone so much older than me.
She might just have a type. She was 28 dating a 50 year old in her last long term relationship.
I have enjoyed Taylor since she was Denise Cavanaugh on The Edge Of Night. I can’t imagine what it would be like to have a partner that much older, I just can’t personally but I wish her well.
Didn’t Sarah date Cherry Jones for a while? Obviously she has a thing for older women.
She was on Ally McBeal or one of the spin offs. The age difference is so odd and they’re an odd couple.
I guess i’m so happy for someone when they come out, the person they date I’m not focused on as much. or maybe i’m sexist and think that because it’s women it’s cool? but sarah is 40-not 19, that’s huge here. she’s not a child. but if this was Jessica simpson’s father and a 32 year younger man, i’d think this is a gay stereotype-you want a fun kid to go clubbing with. but really-they’re adults they get to do what works for them. as we age, many of us get bitter and narrow minded and at times a bit defeated-wanting an optimistic positive youthful person is understandable.
Wow! Thats awesome. That’s Charlie and Allen’s mom. She killed it as Evelyn!
Um, no.
I mean, be happy, do you, whatever; but it’s still a situation that I find a bit yucky.
At her age I expect her to be more circumspect about the relationship. I don’t care for the age difference at all and was she so giddy she had to announce it to the world? I really don’t get the need to have everyone know your business. That she came out is fine and that would have been enough.
I also do have to wonder if there was anyone within shot of her age group that she could have gotten with. I can’t imagine that it’s easy to find a peer.
Love this! Love her! In love with ms Holland 🙂
Sarah had a long-term relationship with Cherry Jones who is only a few years younger than Holland Taylor, so it while might not be our thing, apparently it’s hers.
I love how Sarah is the go-to for the mature lesbian rumor mill lol. Remember when she was thought to be Jessica Lange’s jump off when her LTR ended? I mean… I’m at the “pics or it didn’t happen” phase on this folks.