Earlier this week, we learned that Holland Taylor, 72, is out and proud. She gave an interview where she was basically like “I was never in, darlings!” When most outlets reported her comments, they made assumptions about why Holland was suddenly talking about her sexuality. As in, Holland seems to be in a relationship with Sarah Paulson, who is 40 years old. Paulson has never – to my knowledge – come out publicly. Last year, Paulson basically told Out Magazine that she’s bisexual, but that guys never ask her out because they think she’s only into women. Many of you also reminded me that Paulson allegedly had a relationship with Cherry Jones for several years. I’ve also wondered about Paulson’s relationship with Pedro Pascal, but it’s possible they’re just close friends.
Anyway, there were assumptions made about Paulson and Taylor. As it turns out, they are dating. People Magazine reported that “multiple sources” confirm that they’ve been togethe a few months. Us Weekly goes further:
Surprise! Holland Taylor and Sarah Paulson are dating, Us Weekly can confirm. A source tells Us that Holland, 72, and Paulson, 40, have been dating for at least six months and the relationship is getting serious.
In Holland Taylor’s original interview, she said that she and her girlfriend were discussing marriage too. Which… given that their relationship is only 3 to 6 months old, seems a bit sudden. Then again, I don’t know the rules for a 40 year-old woman dating a 72 year-old woman. How soon is too soon?
There’s additional evidence that Paulson and Taylor are very much partners and very serious about each other: they’re all over each other’s Twitter. Holland in particular likes to post photos of her younger lover. Is this sweet? I kind of think it’s sweet. But the age difference still bugs.
When captions fail… pic.twitter.com/b6ECRSA6D3
— Holland Taylor (@HollandTaylor) November 17, 2015
Miss Paulson, at night, downtown… pic.twitter.com/WtJE08HpXh
— Holland Taylor (@HollandTaylor) September 21, 2015
Photos courtesy of Getty, Twitter.
They are both shipping hard. I saw this Buzzfeed article last night and was like WOAH.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/skarlan/they-ship-it-too
It reminds me of when Ellen and Portia got together. There was absolutely no containing their incredible happiness at being with each other, which I love.
Damn. That’s a lot of Twitter PDA.
That buzzfeed link is too cute. I ship them together so hard….
Yeah me too Naya. This is a great pairing with much happiness, apparently.
Sarah did date Cheery for many years, then they came out together and proclaimed their love. A few months later they broke up. There’s a lesson in that one kids. Never publicly proclaim your love because you’re going to jinx it. I said it earlier this week, I’m cool with them as a couple. Sarah’s 40, a grown women, already molded and has a good idea who she is. So if they’re happy then I’m happy for them. Would I want that big of an age difference in my relationship? Probably not, but when you click with someone don’t second guess it. It’s hard out there, be happy.
i just read the Out profile and her comments about being an ‘equal-opportunity employer’ are hilarious!
Not that it’s really any of my business, but I’m struggling to understand how much a 40 year old and 72 year old have in common. They’re both grown adults with plenty of life experience, so bless ’em and good luck to ’em, but I couldn’t ever imagine seeing someone more than 30 years my senior as anything other than a parental figure.
I don’t know– I’m 42, and I kind of just feel I’m grown enough and old enough by now that I don’t think anyone is “too old” for me. The other way around though would be weird. Obviously I’d never be dating 12-year-olds! But I work with a lot of folks in their mid-to late-20s even, and it feels squicky to think of dating anyone even that age. I think anybody under 35 is too young (and 35 is pushing it for sure). But i wouldn’t have a problem dating someone much older. I like how aims put it above. A 40-year-old woman knows who she is.
I am closer to 40 than I will ever be to 30 again, plus I am very much a lesbian, and I know for me, there is just no way I could be sexually attracted to a woman who is 72. But that is me. Seventy-two is a good bit older than my mom, and that is all I can think about. But as long as they are happy and in love with each other, that is all that matters.
Yes, Rhiley – yes yes yes. That said, there’s enough pain and awful in this world that it’s lovely to see two people find and adore one another. Wishing them many years of joy and happiness.
I’m also gay, and though it’s strange to think about initially, I wouldn’t rule out dating someone much older. Sarah and her girlfriend are in the same field and seem very happy. They must have shared a lot of the same life experiences which is cute. My girlfriend and I are going into the same field and she keeps me sane!
Anecdotally, May/December couples do seem pretty common among non-straight couples. Think 10 year+ age differences: Tom Daley and his fiancee, etc.
I have a lot of women friends who are much older than me. I love spending time with them, and I very much connect with them through humor, life experiences, literature, food, etc. One of my very close friends is well into her 60s. But I just can’t imagine ever being sexual with them. That may be in part because I have been in a solid relationship for years so I don’t think about other sexual partners, but I am not so sure I would feel differently if I were single.
“I’m struggling to understand how much a 40 year old and 72 year old have in common.”
They both have a lot of experience in theater, I am sure they have TONS of things in common.
Usually relationships with a huge age gap make me cringe, but not here. Their love for each other seems so passionate and genuine. I’m a huge Sarah fan and love seeing them both so happy 🙂
Holland doesn’t look that much older than Sarah. Holland is doing something right or Sarah is doing something wrong.
I was thinking the same thing. Sarah definitely isn’t chasing a youthful look.
My personal soul is creeped out by the fact that they legitimately look like a mother and daughter, but I am not the love police. If it’s love, cheers to them both.
Your comment made me smile.
Live and let live! They seem happy, best of luck to them!
I just can’t with a 32 year age gap.
It’s like imagining my Grandma making out with someone. Oy vey.
I’m bisexual, but identified as gay for a long time. Generally, from what I’ve seen and experienced personally, women in lesbian relationships tend to move much faster than hetero relationships I’ve seen.
That’s interesting. I wonder if there’s data on relationship longevity among lesbians? My sister met a woman and they fell in love and bought and renovated a house really quickly…and then had to deal with a really messy break up less than two years later. I often wonder if moving so fast just doomed them from the start.
this is meant as a reply to jamie, sorry –
Yep and it’s been suggested that there are many reasons for this!
Oxytocin, the hormone produced when having sex/falling in love, is produced at a higher rate among two women, and that feeling is addictive. Women are more socialized than men to couple up, find a mate, nest, etc, so two women are likelier to move faster than a heterosexual couple. And finally, non-hetero women are more likely to have struggled to accept their sexual identities (this may be a generational thing, but social acceptance of being gay/bi/queer really has only blown up in the past <2 decades), so coupling up and finally being able to follow the traditional couple "script" is very fulfilling. There are also fewer socialized sex/gender boundaries between two women than between a man and a woman – while these differences may create a natural communication boundary for a straight couple, they do not usually exist as strongly between women.
source – this book on lesbian couples that I’ve been reading, written by two lesbian therapists. It’s a good and interesting read!
I doubt all lesbians are the same. One of my best friends who is gay was with this girl a few years. Her girlfriend definetly wasn’t into moving fast. The problem there was lack of long term commitment from the girlfriend. They broke up and got together again a few times because of this. My friend discovered her girlfriend had been like that with previous girlfriends too. They finally broke up when my friend realised the woman would never properly commit to her. That relationship reminded me of a fairly common dynamic in hetero relationship.
Gay couples in general get over themselves much faster, I’ve seen.
Milena- tha k you so much for the info I am defiantly checking that out!
It’s a honeymoon period of infatuation. Some make it out and some don’t. As it is the age gap makes me side eye along with the very early talk of marriage. Outside of that good for 2 people fnding happiness.
I will say this on it. If 1 looked significantly older or younger with a big gap in standards of beauty we’d all be up in arms with shade. Too many opposite and same gender age gaping relatioships here that have been drenched in that.
That Taylor and Paulson both have careers and do not appear to have much age difference in photos the relationship is very palatable to the public.
I am in my 40s. I can see having a deep bond or a friendship with someone who is 72 but a romantic relationship? A sexual relationship? I just don’t get it. But I guess it doesn’t matter. They are both adults and Sarah is 40 so if it works for them… kudos.
I don’t know how I would feel about a man taking pictures of his young lover and posting them on social media, I guess it feels like bragging. I find it a bit ew-ish, but they are both adults and Sarah is 40, aaaand they seem genuinely happy in that buzzfeed article… So, congrats…!
I’m sorry but … Ew. So much ew. And no it’s not because they are lesbians .. It’s cuz one is a senior. So much ew.
Seriously? Even 2 people without a big age gap, one of them will be labelled a “senior” before the other.
And often, one person ages more quickly than the other, whether from health reasons or bad habits or lack of care…so even before being a senior, some people may look older than they are.
We’ll all get there…as will our partners…the age-label can’t be avoided & there’s no guarantee how senior-y either one will look.
Are you seriously harping on my use of the word senior ? Seniors are by definition age 65 and older. Sorry but the thought of an attractive middle aged woman licking some SENIOR puss is definitely ewwwwwwww. Go be politically correct on Fox News
Actually I was harping on your ageist attitude.
People on here are usually sensitive about fat-shaming, skinny-shaming, etc. But it seems like nasty age-related comments are just fine.
There’s a 32 year old age difference….. Guess you think it’s ok when a 40 year old woman dates a 72 year old man or is she a gold digger? Ageism please.
Totally agree with Jen. Happy for them but the thought of them getting it on makes me cringe. FWIW (not that I have to justify my opinion in any way), I feel the same way when I see old men like Hugh Hefner, or even Roberto Cavalli, with their young girlfriends. Don’t care if you think it’s “ageist”. Some things are just generally yucky.