Monica Bellucci confirms relationship with Tim Burton amid dating rumors: 'I love him'
LONDON, ENGLAND: Monica Bellucci, 58, confirmed that she is "in love" with Tim Burton, 64, months after dating rumors started surfacing online. "What I can say … I’m glad I met the man, first of all," the Italian actress said in an interview with Elle France which was published Monday, June 26.
"It’s one of those encounters that rarely happens in life… I know the man, I love him, and now I’m going to meet the director, and another adventure begins. I love Tim. And I have great respect for Tim Burton," she continued.
'I love this dream world where the monsters are kind'
The 'Malena' actress has been working in the fantasy comedy film 'Beetlejuice 2' which is being directed by Burton and the film is being shot in London. "I love this dream world where the monsters are kind like we can turn our darker aspects into something bright, forgiving,” the 58-year-old star told the publication and added, "Tim Burton’s films talk about that a lot."
The duo was previously spotted together in Santa Monica, California in February as they were seen sharing a kiss during their walk on Valentine's Day. Bellucci and Burton, who have been friends for more than 15 years, then walked into a restaurant after the 'Sleepy Hollow' director was seen wrapping his arm around the 'Irreversible' actress, reported Page Six.
The couple has been rumored to have begun dating in October 2022 in France after the Lumiere Film Festival in Lyon. Bellucci, who was an honorary guest at the event, presented the 'Beetlejuice' director with the Lumiere Lifetime Achievement Award. Following the film festival, French outlet Paris Match reported that Burton and Bellucci "got closer" after the event though they first met during the Cannes Film Festival in 2006.
Burton and Bellucci's past relationships
Burton was romantically linked to Helena Bonham Carter in the past and they share two children together, son Billy, 19, and daughter, Nell, 15. The duo who first met in 2001 on the set of 'Planet of the Apes' ended their 13-year relationship in 2014. Carter, 57 and Burton then worked on several movies together, including, 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,' 'Alice in Wonderland,' and 'Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.'
Meanwhile, Bellucci married Italian photographer Claudio Carlos Basso in 1984 when she was 20 and they divorced six months later. Later, she got married to Vincent Cassel and they were together from 1999 to 2013. The formal couple shares two daughters, Deva, 18, and Leonie, 13. In 2017, the actress began dating artist Nicolas Lefebvre but they broke up in 2019.