Dominic West is addressing the rumors about his relationship with co-star Lily James after the two were photographed looking cozy during a trip to Rome in October 2020. The Crown actor, who has been married to wife Catherine FitzGerald since 2010, called the headlines about him and James “an absurd situation” during a new interview with The Times, acknowledging that it was a bizarre time for him and his family.ย
“It was an absurd situation,” West, 54, said of the aftermath of the photos of him with his 34-year-old co-star in a BBC adaptation of Nancy Mitford’s novel The Pursuit of Love. “It was deeply stressful for my wife and my kids, but there were lighter moments. That was the best that came out of it, really.”
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James and West were photographed riding a scooter and grabbing together while in Rome, with the Cinderella actress appearing to be nuzzled by The Wire actor at a certain point. West told The Times of the aftermath, “I hesitate to speak on my wife’s behalf because it was obviously horrible, particularly for her,” letting out a laugh before noting, “But we do joke about it sometimes.”
“Whenever we went out together, the papers would always say we were ‘putting on a show of unity.’ Even if we’d just been rowing about parking the car or whatever, even if that couldn’t be further from the truth,” he continued. “And so when we go out we do sort of say, ‘Shall we go and have a show of unity up in London?’”
West and FitzGerald addressed the scandal just a day after the original photos were published in 2020, kissing for photographers outside of their London home and presenting a sheet of paper that read, “Our marriage is strong and we’re very much still together. Thank you. Catherine and Dominic.”
When it comes to James’ involvement, The Iron Claw actress previously declined to address the situation during a 2021 interview with The Guardian, saying that while there was “a lot to say,” she wasn’t ready to say anything publicly. “Ach, I’m not really willing to talk about that,” James told the outlet of the photos and the speculation surrounding her relationship with West. “There is a lot to say, but not now, I’m afraid.”
