Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman still have a 'good relationship' following 2017 separation

Danny DeVito has explained how he and his former partner Rhea Perlman continue to have a "good relationship" despite separating back in 2017.

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Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman remain close despite separating in 2017
Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman remain close despite separating in 2017

Danny DeVito still has a "good relationship" with his former partner Rhea Perlman.

The It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia star, 81, separated from the Cheers actress in 2017 - although they remain legally married – but explained how the pair continue to spend time together on a daily basis.

DeVito – who has children Lucy, 43, Grace, 41, and Jacob, 38, with Rhea – told AARP The Magazine: "We're always over at her house. We see the grandchildren together, that kind of stuff. So that's a good relationship."

The Twins star also reflected on how he and Rhea, 78, met in the early 1970s when she went to see an off-Broadway show that he was appearing in.

DeVito recalled: "We hit it off. We liked off-Broadway stuff.

"We went to the movies all the time. We made little movies together – short films. We had a lot in common, and we fell in love. A nice Jewish girl from Brooklyn and an Italian from New Jersey: I cooked and she ate."

DeVito has enjoyed a Hollywood career spanning over half a century and credits his longevity to the support of his family and friends.

He said: "Because of them, I always had a feeling that no matter what I was doing, I could do it, no holds barred."

Rhea – who married DeVito in 1982 – previously said that she was "proud" that the pair have kept their family together despite no longer being a couple.

Speaking to America's Closer magazine in 2023, she said: "I'm really, really glad that Danny and I were able to navigate rough days to be able to have this different kind of relationship. I think it's pretty rare but we agree on so many things that it makes sense. We're still a family."

Meanwhile, DeVito and Perlman have become grandparents in recent years and the Jumanji: The Next Level star wants to see his loved ones "grow" without missing a "thing".

He said: "There's that saying, a watched pot never boils. So I apply that to my kids.

"I look at them all the time, because I don't want them to boil. I want them to take their time and grow...

"I tell my kids that, too. Don't miss a thing. Don't look away. Because when you look back, that kid's gonna be hula hooping."