Sara Gilbert and Linda Perry: Details Behind Their Legal Separation

Sara Gilbert and Linda Perry have filed for a legal separation after five years of marriage. The 44-year-old star of The Conners had submitted the paperwork yesterday, Dec. 27. In the paperwork, Gilbert lists Aug. 13 as the date of their separation, according to Us Weekly, who obtained the documents. The reason for the couple’s split is the oft-cited “irreconcilable differences,” and Gilbert requested joint legal custody of their 4-year-old son, Rhodes Emilio Gilbert Perry, with no spousal support for either.

The couple first kindled their romance back in 2011 before announcing their engagement in April of 2013. They married in May of the following year, with their son Rhodes born in Feb. of 2015. Perry, who used to front the band 4 Non Blondes, had told Us Weekly last month that her partner “can’t have any more kids. That part’s done. We barely squeaked out this one,” referring to their 4-year-old.

“I love kids,” Perry went on to explain. “I’m always doing panels. I’m always trying to teach kids. My artist friends are always bringing their 13-year-olds to my studio, like, ‘OK! Do your thing!’ So it’s fun. There are always kids. There’s always somebody that needs you.”

Perry also revealed that “Sarah did nothing” over the holidays before they started dating. “There was no Valentine’s Day, there was no Halloween, there was no Christmas, there was jack s— in that family before I showed up,” Perry said. “I introduced the kids to Halloween, Christmas — it’s a Jewish family but I brought Christmas in. I’m basically pushing my traditions.”

Despite the separation, the couple was spotted having lunch together in Los Angeles a few days before Christmas and appeared to be in good spirits.

Gilbert also has two other children from her prior relationship with TV producer Ali Adler, 15-year-old son Levi and 12-year-old daughter Sawyer. Back in April, the actress had stepped back from hosting duties on the daytime talk show, The Talk, citing wanting to spend time with her family and work toward setting a better “balance” between her career and her home life.

The Conners just finished its second season on ABC earlier this month. The spinoff of Roseanne, which was brought back for a series revival back in March of 2018, featuring the original cast reprising their roles — including Gilbert. However, star Roseanne Barr was fired not long after the revival due to a derogatory tweet about former Barack Obama aid Valerie Jarrett. The show was then retooled as The Conners and moved forward in the fall of 2018 without Barr in the lead role.