Téa Leoni Covers More, Talks Divorce and Ex-Husband David Duchovny: "On Occasion, I Want to Throttle Him"

"But in any real relationship with someone you love, that’s true," says Madam Secretary star

By Rebecca Macatee Feb 24, 2015 4:42 PMTags
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Téa Leoni looks radiant and fresh on More magazine's March cover, but the 48-year-old Madam Secretary star is the first to admit she used to worry far too much about getting older.

"Thankfully, I've moved past all that. Chasing youth is a war I'm not going to win," says the actress, whose divorce from David Duchovny was finalized in 2014. "It's not like I'm thrilled to turn around and catch my can in the mirror, but I can see now how much of my happiness could be a victim of trying to stay young and desirable. And it feels like peace and victory to be relieved of that burden."

The mother of two describes her marital status as "divorced and liking it, thank you." But Leoni tells More that she and Duchovny, 54, still co-parent daughter Madelaine West, 15, and son Kyd Miller, 12. The exes are friendly, speak almost daily and even shared a rental house with their children and extended family over the holidays.

"On occasion, I want to throttle him," says Leoni. "But in any real relationship with someone you love, that's true."

NEWS: Téa Leoni dating Tim Daly

Leoni plays coy when asked about dating her Madam Secretary co-star, Tim Daly. She tells More that after her and Duchovny's very public divorce playing out in the public eye, she will "never speak again" about her personal relationships, "especially after what it did to my kids."

Madelaine and Kyd seem to be Leoni's main focus right now, and she wouldn't have it any other way. "People tell me I've never really made it. They say, 'You don't have an Oscar,'" she says. "There's not an accolade in Hollywood that could replace time with my kids. At this stage of my life, it's not about contentment. Or appealing to 20-year-olds. Or awards. It's about finding something more. As I tell my daughter, 'Hear your voice first.'"

Madam Secretary airs Sundays at 8 p.m. on CBS.