Helena Bonham Carter and Tim Burton are two of the most celebrated artists in Hollywood, Tim as a director known for his dark and quirky style, and Helena as an actress who can bring the most eccentric of characters to life effortlessly. It seemed like a match made in heaven, then, when Helena and Tim began dating in 2001 after working on Planet of the Apes together. Throughout their partnership, which lasted until 2014, they collaborated on numerous projects such as 2003’s Big Fish, 2005’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, 2010’s Alice in Wonderland, and 2012’s Dark Shadows.
The pair announced their separation in December 2014, although they had split “amicably” earlier in the year and “continued to be friends and co-parent their children,” per The Hollywood Reporter. Helena and Tim welcomed two children during their 13-year romance: son Billy Ray and daughter Nell. Read on to learn about the very private children.
Billy Ray Burton
Billy Ray Burton was born in London in 2003. Helena and Tim fiercely protected their children’s privacy growing up, so there is very little known about Billy or his sister. In addition, public appearances with the kids are far and few in between. Billy was likely named after Tim’s father, whose name was William. Billy is a common nickname for William.
In a rare comment about Billy in 2007, Helena admitted he was not a fan of Harry Potter, in which she played Bellatrix Lestrange. She told People that Billy was scared within the first few minutes of watching the third installment of the franchise, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. “It was the one where his aunt blows up into a huge balloon and floats out of the window. That was really traumatic! It was a mistake,” she said. Perhaps, he has given the films another try now that he’s older!
Nell Burton
Nell Burton was born in London in 2007. She was named after “all the Helens in the family,” according to Helena in a phone interview with the Jewish Journal (via People). There is very little known about the teenager. Neither she nor her brother appears to have any sort of public social media account.