Dominic West has revealed that his kiss scandal with Lily James was ‘deeply stressful’ for his wife Catherine, as he shared her reaction to the snaps for the first time.
In October 2020, co-stars Lily and married Dominic, 54, were caught enjoying what appeared to be a racy weekend in Rome – which made headlines around the world.
Following the snaps emerging, the actor put on a public display of unity with his wife, with the couple releasing a statement about their marriage saying they were ‘very much still together’.
Catherine was also said at the time to have banned Dominic from speaking with the actress, 35, as part of a peace deal struck between the couple.
And in an interview with The Sunday Times’ Culture Magazine, Dominic said: ‘I hesitate to speak on my wife’s behalf because it was obviously horrible, particularly for her.’
Dominic West has revealed that his kiss scandal with Lily James was ‘deeply stressful’ for his wife Catherine, as he shared her reaction to the snaps for the first time
In October 2020, co-stars Lily and married Dominic, 54, were caught enjoying what appeared to be a racy weekend in Rome – which made headlines around the world
‘But we do joke about it sometimes… It was an absurd situation. 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.’
Dominic also shared that the media storm surrounding the incident, helped inform him of how to play Prince Charles in the final two series of Netflix’s The Crown.
During his stint as Charles he played some of the most high-profile moments of his life including his relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles.
He said: ‘I’d had a very acute understanding of what it’s like to feel the horror of your name or your photo in the newspapers.
‘There is that dreadful freezing moment when something is revealed about you. I think anyone can understand how that feels.
‘But I’d been through it and it must have informed how I approached it. That gut feeling of horror isn’t something you get inured to.’
Dominic surprised onlookers when he was pictured passionately embracing actress Lily during a romantic, mid-pandemic break in Rome back in 2020, shortly after international travel restrictions were lifted.
The couple didn’t seem to mind who saw them as they cuddled up to one another and shared a ride on a scooter while taking in the sights throughout the day.
At the time he was still married to Catherine – and no split had been publicly announced – but he was not wearing his wedding ring.
A source told MailOnline that the pair spent two nights in a suite at the top Hotel De La Ville with a panoramic view over the whole city and just at two minutes walk from the Spanish steps.
Following the snaps emerging, Dominic put on a public display of unity with his wife Catherine FitzGerald
They were preparing to star in Emily Mortimer’s adaptation of Nancy Mitford’s celebrated novel The Pursuit Of Love for the BBC and filming began that July
They only left the hotel for a few hours riding an electric scooter around the Spanish Steps and Piazza di Pietra, before joining their friend and mutual manager Angharad Wood at a downtown restaurant.
As paparazzi photographers lurked, Lily sat next to Dominic and he couldn’t resist kissing her neck and stroking her.
They were preparing to star in Emily Mortimer’s adaptation of Nancy Mitford’s celebrated novel The Pursuit Of Love for the BBC and filming began that July – three months before their surprise holiday.
But the pair go way back and starred in Othello together at Sheffield’s Crucible back in 2011. Lily played Desdemona when she was aged 22 and Dominic played Iago aged 41.
After pictures of them finally emerged, the versatile actor gave waiting reporters a surprisingly wooden performance as they gathered outside the sprawling Cotswolds home he shares with a bewildered looking FitzGerald and their children.
The shell-shocked mother-of-four had clutched a tissue in her hand as she gingerly stepped out of the marital home in Chippenham, Wiltshire with her husband by her side, hiding her ring finger in her jeans pocket.
The awkward tableau wasn’t helped by the couple’s bizarre decision to display a piece of paper bearing the handwritten message: ‘Our marriage is strong and we’re very much still together. Thank you.’
FitzGerald later broke her silence to assure MailOnline that her marriage is safe.
She told reporters: ‘We’re fine, thank you very much, yes we are. Things are OK between us. We don’t need any advice from anyone, thank you.’
