Kate Beckinsale is all about healthy living, both in her relationships and her nutrition.
The actress was revealed as the January/February 2020 cover star of Women's Health on Wednesday, and in her cover interview, she revealed the unique things she's learned she needs to stay feeling happy and healthy.
Among that list is a strict no caffeine and no sugar rule, but when it comes to relationships, she has an interesting take on what married couples could be doing to make sure things stay good. (She recently finalized her divorce from Len Weisman after a separation in 2015 and 11 years of marriage, so she knows a thing or two about wedded life.)
As she told the outlet, "I think more people would do well married if they didn't have to live in the same house." The love part, according to the Underworld alum, is just fine. But she feels cohabitating is what seals the fate for many marriages.
"Being married is kind of easy," Beckinsale, 46, said. "But the living-with-the-person thing is a lot."
Part of the downside of living with your spouse, she added, is the pressure so many women feel to accommodate people. "I also think that for women especially—and this is generalizing," the star said. "But I think it's common for us to mentally subjugate our needs to whoever else is in the room. So if you've got a husband, a boyfriend, kids or parents, it's so easy to come in with an idea of what you'd like to do, and then end up going, ‘Oh no, no, no, it's fine.'"
Now that she's single, she's free of that feeling. As she admitted, "And it's quite nice to not always have to negotiate that."
Beckinsale isn't alone in this belief.
For the first 10 months of their marriage, Gwyneth Paltrow and American Horror Story co-creator Brad Falchuk didn't live together full time. As she told U.K. outlet The Sunday Times back in June, Falchuk would sleep four nights out of the week at her home. When Falchuk's children, Brody and Isabella, were with him, he would sleep at his own house. And the Avengers star said it was a wonderful set-up for them.
"Oh, all my married friends say that the way we live sounds ideal and we shouldn't change a thing," Paltrow said. They eventually moved in together full-time in August.
Perhaps these three are onto something here. And while the Jolt star has particular views about marriage, she's perfectly happy with her fun, single life.
Her previous fling with Pete Davidson made headlines due to the 20-year age gap between the two stars. Speaking in a general sense about relationships, the Pearl Harbor alum admitted that people talking en masse about her private life gets stressful.
"If everyone's sh*tting on you," she said, "it can make you kind of ugh for a minute—especially if there's really nothing wrong. If you're strangling a squirrel or hurting someone, I get it, but living one's life in a reasonably respectful manner shouldn't invite anyone to get too excited." Fair enough.
When it comes to the criticism of her relationships, Beckinsale admitted she feels a bit rebellious on that front.
"It can feel like a little bit of a political act to be a woman over 32 who is having any fun at all," she said.
"And by that," she went on, "I don't mean doing drugs and drinking and partying—because I never am—but being goofy, and going out, and not going ‘Omigod I'm going to sit home and anticipate menopause while crocheting.' Unless you're doing that, it somehow seems to be risqué, which is just kind of ridiculous to me."
Basically, she's going to continue to do whatever she wants. (And why shouldn't she?)
As she declared, "I witness men constantly doing whatever they like—whether that's in relationships, or deciding to buy a motorbike and getting a tattoo. It has not been interpreted as ‘Why hasn't he had more children?' or ‘Is he ever going to decide to become a parent?' or ‘Why has he had so many girlfriends.'"
Live your best, single life, girl.