Helena Bonham Carter jokes about 21-year age gap with boyfriend: ‘We say I’m siphoning off his youth at night’

Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter

Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter

Please enter a valid email address

Please enter a valid email address

SIGN UP

I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice

Helena Bonham Carter has said that she and boyfriend Rye Dag Holmboe make jokes about their 21-year age gap.

The Enola Holmes star, 56, met Holmboe at a wedding in 2018.

She spoke about her relationship with the art historian, 35, in a profile for The Times, published on Saturday 26 November.

Addressing media coverage about them, Bonham Carter said: “I like that it’s constantly news that he’s younger than me.

“And what’s hilarious is that I keep getting older, but to the tabloids he remains 33. He’s almost like Benjamin Button.”

Elsewhere, she described Holmboe as “ageless” and an “old soul in a young body”, adding that “people aren’t necessarily their chronological age”.

The Oscar winner, who was recently appointed first female president of the London Library, told the publication: “There are people I’ve been involved with who aren’t necessarily their age, maturity wise, whereas [Rye] is ageless.”

Bonham Carter also said the pair poke fun at their age gap, explaining: “His eyesight is going, so we say I’m siphoning off his youth at night.”

When asked about Cher, who recently confirmed her relationship with 36-year-old music producer Alexander Edwards, Bonham Carter replied: “Good on men for appreciating different kinds of beauty and finding other things sexy.

“Collagen is not the only form of sexiness; there’s character, fun, mischief and humour,” she continued, adding: “As long as you’ve got the laughter, the intimacy will be there.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Bonham Carter spoke out in defence of JK Rowling and said the Harry Potter author was being “hounded” over her views on transgender rights.

She also said Johnny Depp, who is godfather to her children, had been “vindicated” by the jury’s verdict in the recent, high-profile defamation suit against ex-wife Amber Heard.