Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter secretly split a year ago, source claims

TIM Burton and Helena Bonham Carter have reportedly been living separate lives for more than a year despite only announcing their split last week.

(FILES) - File picture taken February 24, 2013 shows Best Animated Feature Film nominee Tim Burton arriving with actress Helena Bonham Carter for the 85th Annual Academy Awards in Hollywood, California. Burton and his long-time actress partner Bonham Carter have separated after 13 years together, a spokeswoman confirmed December 23, 2014. A representative for Bonham Carter, the star of the "Harry Potter" movies and Oscar-winning films including "The King's Speech", said the couple had split "amicably." Bonham Carter, 48, and Burton, 56, have two children together but never married. They met when Burton, whose films include "Batman", "Edward Scissorhands" and "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory", directed Carter in 2001's "Planet of the Apes." AFP PHOTO/VALERIE MACON

TIM Burton and Helena Bonham Carter announced the end of their 13-year relationship last week, but sources say that they’ve actually been living separate lives for more than a year and that both have had other lovers.

Burton, director of the new movie Big Eyes, and British actor Bonham Carter confirmed through a spokesman last Tuesday that they had “separated amicably” earlier this year and “have continued to be friends and co-parent their ­children.”

The official confirmation of their split comes more than a year after Burton was pictured kissing and embracing a mystery blonde following a cinema date in North London in September 2013.

At the time, his representative denied he had been unfaithful, saying they were out with a group of friends.

Separate lives ... A source claimed the pair have had other lovers in the past year. Picture: Chris Jackson/Getty Images

But a source told New York Post: “Tim and Helena have been living separate lives for [more than] a year, and since they separated, they have both had other lovers. The separation announcement was made saying they’d split earlier this year, but they have been living apart for much longer.”

Despite some UK claims that Bonham Carter is in a “bad way” over the split, our source said: “Both parties are happy with the situation. It is perfectly amicable.”

Burton and Bonham Carter met on the set of 2001’s Planet of the Apes and went on to work on several films together, including Sweeney Todd and Alice in Wonderland.

Tim Burton, Helena Bonham Carter split

New movie ... Tim Burton with, from left, Margaret Keane, Amy Adams and Christoph Waltz at the premiere of his new movie Big Eyes. Picture: Evan Agostini/AP

In the UK, they were nicknamed “Mr and Mrs Mad Hatter” after they bought two houses next to each other. They lived in each separately but joined the homes with a communal room.

Bonham Carter had said of the unusual arrangement: “It really is a great idea. You never have to compromise emotionally or feel invaded.”

Proving there are no hard feelings, Burton and Bonham Carter were photographed together in London on Christmas with their kids, Billy Ray, 11, and Nell, 7.

Reps for both Burton, 56, and Bonham Carter, 48, didn’t get back to us.

Originally published as Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter secretly split a year ago, source claims