Aaron Taylor-Johnson has been making headlines since he emerged as the frontrunner to play the next James Bond – but his 'controversial' marriage has been in the spotlight for over a decade.
The 33-year-old tied the knot with Sam Taylor-Johnson, 57, in 2012 after they met when she directed him in 2009's John Lennon biopic Nowhere Boy. At the time, Aaron was 18 and Sam was 42.
Their 24-year age gap has faced public scrutiny over the years, but in a new interview, the Bullet Train star defended their much-talked-about marriage and the speed in which their relationship progressed, despite his young age at the time.
"What you gotta realize is that what most people were doing in their twenties, I was doing when I was 13," Aaron – who started his career aged six – told Rolling Stone UK.
Reflecting on the backlash, Aaron continued: "You're doing something too quickly for someone else? I don't understand that."
He added: "What speed are you supposed to enjoy life at? It's bizarre to me."
One of the best responses the couple could give to critics of their relationship is its longevity. In June 2022, they celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary by renewing their vows.
The couple "confessed our love in front of our nearest and dearest friends and family it was a celebration of love and joy!" Aaron posted on Instagram at the time.
He added: "A decade of marriage. It was a magical unforgettable day and the sun did not stop shining on us both."
Aaron and Sam share daughters Wylda, 13, and Romy Hero, 11, as well as Angelica, 25, and Jessie, 15, from Sam's first marriage to art dealer Jay Joplin.
While Aaron is famed for his roles on the big screen, he makes a point not to bring his work home with him to his family.
"It's important for me to get rid of that and shed that skin when I come home to cuddle my kids at night," he explained in his Rolling Stone interview.
"People see and perceive this thing around my career, and that's OK. But I'm just trying to juggle my family and my work. I'm doing normal life."
He added: "Career doesn't necessarily take a back seat, but it takes a different thought behind the choices that you make."
It's not the first time Aaron has addressed the negativity around his and Sam's marriage.
Speaking about the criticism in a 2019 interview with The Telegraph, he said: "That's their problem and their issues and however they perceive life.
"I live my life to its fullest and I operate from my instincts and from my heart, and I try to be as open as possible."
Sam, meanwhile, told The Hollywood Reporter in 2017: "If I gave a second thought to other people, I would be the unhappiest person, probably still in a miserable marriage.
"People like to talk about it. I'm like, 'But it works better than my last marriage.' It's lasted longer than a lot of my friends' marriages."
That same year, she revealed that Aaron "was very intense and absolutely mind made-up" about them dating.
"I literally found my soulmate," she gushed to The Sunday Times. "I feel so blessed: every day I wake up happy. We spend every minute of the day together."
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