Natasha Lyonne Revealed She and Fred Armisen Had a ‘Mundane’ Reason for Their Split
Funny actors and former flames Natasha Lyonne and Fred Armisen called it quits for a “mundane reason,” the Russian Doll star said. According to her, she still talks to the former Saturday Night Live standout “all the time,” but their relationship didn’t work because they disagreed on something big while living together during the pandemic. What home amenity did she decide she didn’t want to live without?
A recap of Natasha Lyonne and Fred Armisen’s relationship
Lyonne and Armisen were first linked in 2014, but they met years before. Lyonne told Glamour she didn’t remember their first encounter, but Armisen did and eventually told her the story. “I was going through a rocky road, as we know,” she said, referring to her history of drug use.
They met through a mutual friend, Maya Rudolph, who brought the Documentary Now! star by Lyonne’s apartment. During the visit, she gave Armisen an autographed copy of someone else’s book and told him, “Welcome, kid. Fred — what a name. Happy birthday. Enjoy the book.”
Eventually, they were an item. They hit the red carpet and worked together throughout their romance. But, like many others, they realized their wants were different in the pandemic.
Natasha Lyonne said she thinks the breakup happened because ‘Freddy doesn’t like a swimming pool’
While speaking with The Hollywood Reporter about the split, Lyonne said, “I honestly think we broke up because I wanted a swimming pool.”
According to her, it might seem like a mundane reason to some, but she wanted to get her laps in during the pandemic and Armisen wasn’t on the same page. She shared, “We love each other just about as much as two people can love each other and we’re still talking all the time, but Freddy doesn’t like a swimming pool.”
It seems given the choice between staying with an anti-pool Armisen and getting a pool, she chose the latter. “So, I got myself a house with a pool out in Los Angeles,” she explained. “So that’s the real scandal. I guess I finally am an actual bicoastal.”
Notably, the former couple has a few mutual friends, which might help them keep in touch.
Fred Armisen’s divorce from Elisabeth Moss was less amicable
Lyonne and Armisen are on friendly terms following the end of their relationship, but the same was not the case after his divorce from The Handmaid’s Tale actor Elisabeth Moss. They married after a short courtship in 2009 and she filed for divorce in 2010.
As reported by InStyle, Armisen said things following the split that could indicate he wasn’t the best partner up to that point. More specifically, the Portlandia star told Howard Stern, “I think I was a terrible husband, I think I’m a terrible boyfriend.”
He further explained, “I want to be married, I want to live together … and then somewhere around a year or two years, I get freaked out. I freak out emotionally …”
For the record, Moss was asked if she kept in touch with Armisen and responded, “Oh, God, no.” (per E!)
How to get help: In the U.S., contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration helpline at 1-800-662-4357.
