As the star of “The Affair” on Showtime, it seems Dominic West might know a thing or two about infidelity. The actor, who has been married to Catherine FitzGerald since 2010, had his own brush with a cheating scandal in 2020 when photos appeared showing him in somewhat intimate moments with a costar.
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Scandal Was ‘Deeply Stressful’ For West’s Family
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In an interview with The Times, the British actor reflected on the “most testing moment” in his marriage.
“‘I hesitate to speak on my wife’s behalf because it was obviously horrible, particularly for her. But we do joke about it sometimes. Because 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. And so when we go out we do sort of say, ‘Shall we go and have a show of unity up in London?’”
It seems West and Fitzgerald have been able to move past the scandal and look at it with a sense of humor now.
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“It was an absurd situation,” the “The Crown” star said. “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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Shocking Photos Showed Married West Embracing Costar
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In 2020, shocking photos were published that showed West and his “The Pursuit of Love” costar, Lily James, having what appeared to be a romantic romp around Rome. Photos of the two nuzzling, embracing, and even appearing to kiss stunned the media, as West was a married father of five. In the photos, West didn’t appear to be wearing his wedding ring.
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West And Wife Put On United Front
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The photos caused a media scandal, but West, 52, and FitzGerald, 52, remained a united front and stayed together through the storm. The couple dutifully posed for photos taken outside their London home after the photos were published.
“On Oct. 13, West and FitzGerald kissed and posed for photographs outside of their home in London with a sheet of paper that read: ‘Our marriage is strong and we’re very much still together. Thank you. Catherine and Dominic,’” according to People magazine.
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James Hasn’t Directly Addressed Photos
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For her part, James, 35, remained mum on the photos for the most part. In a 2021 interview with The Guardian, James declined to comment on the scandal.
“Ach, I’m not really willing to talk about that. There is a lot to say, but not now, I’m afraid,” she told the publication.
In an interview with Rolling Stone in 2022, while she was promoting her role as Pamela Anderson in “Pam & Tommy,” James said that the scandal was “a lot.”
“‘Women in the public eye at some point experience some sort of difficult situation in their relationship between privacy and your life being in the tabloids. It was a lot. It’s a story as old as time,’” said The Independent.
West’s Wife Said Marriage Has Had ‘Ups and Downs’
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According to E! Online, FitzGerald also alluded to the scandal in a 2021 interview with the Irish Independent.
“There’s something about having lived a full life before settling down–I felt I could throw myself into family life and having babies with gusto. And I really went for it, having four in seven years! It’s had its ups and downs of course, like everybody, but we are totally devoted to each other and to our full, vibrant family life together,” the landscape designer and aristocrat said.