Sarah Paulson and Holland Taylor have known one another for almost twenty years, but it took them about a decade to finally get together. Since then, they’ve offered their fans some of the most adorable red carpet couple looks ever, as well as plenty of wisdom about love and long-lasting partnership.
Here’s their complete relationship timeline so far.
2005
The pair met in 2005 at a dinner party, but at the time Paulson was in a relationship with actress Cherry Jones. Taylor was also dating someone. In 2016, Paulson told the New York Times that Taylor was “probably the most exquisitely beautiful woman” she had ever seen.
November 2015
Later on, the two followed one another on Twitter. In late November 2015, Taylor posted a shot of Paulson at a dress fitting, writing, “When captions fail…”
Romantic rumors naturally sparked and they were all true. In a 2019 appearance on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen, Paulson shared the details of their first romantic connection that year.
“It’s a long story. We met a very, very long time ago. I was with someone else; she was, too,” Paulson explained. “We sort of breezed by one another, and then started following each other on Twitter, and then—”
Her fellow guest Billy Eichner then asked, “Holland Taylor slid into your DMs?”
“She actually did,” Paulson replied. “Yeah, it’s pretty great.”
That November, Taylor did an interview with the radio station WNYC and while she didn’t name Paulson, she did admit she was dating someone younger than her.
“There’s a very big age difference between us which I’m sure shocks a lot of people, and it startles me. But as they say, ‘If she dies, she dies,’” the actress joked, adding more seriously, “It’s the most wonderful, extraordinary thing that could have ever possibly happened in my life.”
She also discussed her sexuality, saying, “I haven’t ‘come out’ because I am out, I live out.”
December 2015
In December, People reported that Paulson and Taylor were together, with sources saying they had been dating for “a couple months.”
Shortly after, Paulson shared her ticket stub from the play Ripcord, writing, “@HollandTaylor You sure are a genius. #favoriteactress.”
They attended the opening night of School of Rock together.
![school of rock broadway opening night arrivals and curtain call](https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/actors-holland-taylor-david-burtka-neil-patrick-harris-and-news-photo-1728242978.jpg?resize=980:* ""School Of Rock" Broadway Opening Night - Arrivals And Curtain Call")
And were seen holding hands at Fiddler on the Roof.
![fiddler on the roof broadway opening night arrivals and curtain call](https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/holland-taylor-and-sarah-paulson-attend-the-broadway-news-photo-1728243034.jpg?resize=980:* ""Fiddler On The Roof" Broadway Opening Night - Arrivals And Curtain Call")
January 2016
Paulson wished Taylor a happy 73rd birthday, Twitter, writing, “Happiest Birthday to @HollandTaylor my most favorite human… No one is more deeply grateful that you were born than I.”
They were each other’s date at the 2016 Critics’ Choice Awards. Paulson was nominated for her role in American Horror Story: Hotel.
March 2016
In her interview with the New York Times, Paulson talked about Taylor and her own sexuality, having been in relationships with both men and women.
“If my life choices had to be predicted based on what was expected from me from a community on either side, that’s going to make me feel really straitjacketed, and I don’t want to feel that,” she said. “What I can say absolutely is that I am in love, and that person happens to be Holland Taylor.”
September 2016
During the 2016 Emmy Awards, Taylor was performing in The Front Page on Broadway, but Paulson was up for two awards. On the red carpet, during her interview with E!, Paulson said to the camera, “Hi Holland—Holland Taylor, if you’re watching, I love you.”
Taylor then tweeted, “If I’m watching…?? If I’m WATCHING??? YES, I’m watching–!!! good LORD! … I LOVE you!!!”
Paulson won for her role as Clark in The People v. O.J. Simpson and thanked Taylor during her acceptance speech, saying, “And Holland Taylor, I love you.”
January 2017
Taylor appeared on Radio Andy’s Sandyland and told host Sandra Bernhard that being with Paulson made her feel like “the luckiest person in the world.”
“I must say it has to be part of what has to be the most wonderful thing in my life, is the whole embrace of this wonderful relationship which makes everything else makes sense,” she added. “I can’t talk about my life today and not mention this wonderful love.”
April 2017
The couple attended the 2017 TIME 100 Gala at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City.
October 2017
Paulson shared a selfie of the two of them together dressed up for a charity Halloween party hosted by M. Night Shyamalan in Philadelphia.
The pics from the event were adorable, too.
January 2018
In an interview with Town & Country, Paulson addressed criticism of the age gap between her and Taylor.
“I do not want to be defined by who I share my bed, my home, my soul with,” she said. “My choices in life have been unconventional, and that’s my business. But I do want to live responsibly and truthfully without hiding. It’s complicated, because there is a lot of hate in this world, and a lot of good can come from quote-unquote normalizing something for people who don’t see it as normal. Our relationship represents a certain amount of hope and risk. Maybe there’s something brave in it. Maybe it encourages others to make brave choices. What else can I say? We love each other.”
March 2018
They were each other’s dates at the 2018 Vanity Fair Oscar Party hosted in Beverly Hills.
September 2018
They attended the the 70th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards together.
![nbc's 70th annual primetime emmy awards show](https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/70th-annual-primetime-emmy-awards-pictured-actors-sarah-news-photo-1728244582.jpg?resize=980:* "NBC's "70th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards" - Show")
December 2018
On New Year’s Eve in 2018, they shared a photo on Instagram together in party hats. In the caption, Paulson wrote, “The Only One. #happynewyear 💕🎯💕🙌🏼👌🏼🎯🙏🏻❤️❤️❤️.”
January 2019
The couple were photographed holding hands during a night out in Los Angeles.
February 2019
They made a stunning pair again at the 2019 Vanity Fair Oscar Party.
February 2020
And again in February 2020.
July 2020
Taylor received an Emmy nomination for her role on Hollywood and Paulson celebrated her on Instagram.
“@hollandvtaylor you are the best of the best, in every and all ways,” Paulson wrote. “I am over the moon for you. Congratulations my love.”
August 2020
Taylor talked to People about being home with Paulson during quarantine.
“Both of us normally have to travel for work, have constantly been filming, always leaving a bag halfway packed in the foyer at our house,” she said. “Of course, Sarah and I didn’t need to be brought closer together. We have a very tight, close relationship within each other’s thoughts. We share everything that’s going on.”
December 2020
Taylor wished Paulson a happy 46th birthday with a picture on Instagram.
“Yes, but listen—y’all have no idea,” she wrote in the caption. “Happy Birthday to my one and only. I’m grateful you were born, @mssarahcatharinepaulson.”
January 2022
Paulson celebrated Taylor’s 79th birthday on Instagram with a sweet tribute.
“Love of my life. The one. The only one,” she wrote. “January 14th is my favorite day of the year- a day to unabashedly celebrate you @hollandvtaylor I am the luckiest of the lucky. I love you only.”
April 2022
On the closing night of Taylor’s Broadway show Ann, which she also wrote, Paulson celebrated her hard work on Instagram.
“I have loved her for 7 years and counting… and tonight, as she brings this production in for its landing, I have never loved her more. She is an artist to the marrow… I happen to love a genius. That’s really the truth,” she wrote. “To be inspired by the artistry of the person you share your life with, is the most glorious thing in this world. I love you, I admire you, I worship you @hollandvtaylor.”
September 2022
The couple attended the Emmy aways together, where Paulson was nominated for the eighth time. In an interview with E!, Paulson was asked how she’d celebrate and replied, “God, I don’t know! I’m here with Holland, my partner, whom I love. And that’s it!”
January 2023
Paulson wrote an epic love letter to Taylor on her 80th birthday.
“You are sitting at the counter not 15 feet from me, drinking your chocolate coffee as usual.
I am happiest this way-YOU near. When we talk about what it means to live—what this human experience is all about, we always end up somewhere where you aren’t exactly sure if you’ve contributed enough—if it’s mattered.”
Paulson continued, “I can list all the ways in which you matter, ways you’ve contributed to the lives of those around you, as well as the world at large (ANN for one) But I can speak to some piece of this acutely… You matter to me. YOU. MATTER. TO. ME. You’ve changed me. In all the important ways. Sharing my life with you has made everything else make sense. Happiest Birthday to you, Holland V. Taylor. I just want to say thank you. Thank you for loving me. I will never be the same.”
August 2023
On Chelsea Handler’s Dear Chelsea podcast, Paulson gushed about her partner.
“I think she’s the smartest, wisest, funniest, most extraordinary person I’ve ever met,” Paulson said. “So I can’t imagine not being with her. I just can’t. I just feel very, very lucky to be around someone so incredibly witty and funny and smart and, I think, incredibly sexy.”
She added that Taylor is “the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen” and she “sort of constantly reminding me of how capable I am.”
November 2023
On The View, Paulson had more to say, explaining, “I feel very lucky to be with a person who is smarter, wiser, wittier than I, and that just makes my life better in every possible way. She also makes me feel seen, which I think is the most important gift you can give to any person.”
January 2024
On Instagram, Paulson celebrated Taylor’s birthday with a video set to the song “Seasons” by Needtobreathe.
“You are, quite simply- my world,” she wrote in the caption. “I love you. @hollandvtaylor (don’t be mad about the second to last picture, I didn’t know how to take it out, plus there are pictures of me with no eyebrows, so-).”
May 2024
On the Smartless podcast, Paulson talked about keeping their relationship going for so long.
“We don’t live together. That’s the secret to it,” she said. “We spend plenty of time together but we don’t live in the same house. We’re together when we want to be and we’re not when we don’t.”
June 2024
The couple were on the red carpet at the 77th Annual Tony Awards at Lincoln Center.
August 2024
On SiriusXM’s Andy Cohen Live, Cohen asked Taylor if she and Paulson intended to marry and she responded, “I don’t think so…We’ve never talked about it with any interest. It doesn’t seem to mean to us what it means to a lot of people.”
Taylor continued, “I mean, we have a big generational difference between us, which worries me for her sake. But, you know… what can I do?”
September 2024
They enjoyed the Emmy Awards together again.
Aimée Lutkin is the weekend editor at ELLE.com. Her writing has appeared in Jezebel, Glamour, Marie Claire and more. Her first book, The Lonely Hunter, will be released by Dial Press in February 2022.