Ricky Gervais has said the only reason he would marry his long-term partner Jane Fallon is to avoid inheritance tax, not for love or religion. The actor and comedian, 65, made the comments in an interview with Saga magazine.
Tax reasons for marriage
Gervais, who is worth an estimated £141 million, was asked if he would marry Fallon, who has a net worth of £1.3 million, for tax reasons. He replied: “It is. And that will be the reason I marry. We haven’t done it yet. But if it wasn’t for [tax]... why?”
The couple have been together for 44 years, since meeting at University College London in 1982. Reflecting on their relationship, Gervais said: “It’s mad. How more married can you be? We share all our money, we’ve been living together for 40 years. Some marriages don’t last a year.”
Gervais on marriage and mortality
Gervais, known for his role in The Office, previously dismissed marriage as pointless because “there is no God”. In the interview, he added: “It’s horrible isn’t it? I’ve got to get around to marrying, before I die.”
In January, Fallon spoke about her feelings on marriage and the couple’s decision not to have children. On the Second Act podcast with Ateh Jewel, she said she never had romantic dreams about weddings: “When I was little, you know the cliché of a little girl is they imagine their wedding day and their wedding dress... it was none of that, ever.”
Fallon on motherhood and health
Fallon said she thought she would be “too anxious” for motherhood and that she would “stifle the life out of my kids”. She added: “I can't even let my cat out. I think your job as a parent is to create independent, go-be-free [kids]. It's really hard. I just thought I'll be a better auntie - and auntie to my friends' kids - than I will be a mother.”
In March, Fallon revealed she had been diagnosed with breast cancer after a routine mammogram. She had two surgeries, which “went well”, and said she was “looking forward to getting back to normal”.
