Dominic West has revealed his kissing scandal with Lily James was “deeply stressful” for his wife Catherine Fitzgerald, as he shared his reaction to the snaps for the first time.
In October 2020, her co-stars Lily and married 54-year-old Dominic were caught enjoying what appeared to be a spicy weekend in Rome, which made headlines around the world.
After the snaps emerged, the actor put on a public show of unity with his wife, and the couple issued a statement about their marriage saying they were “still together.”
It was also said at the time that Catherine had banned Dominic from speaking to the actress, 35, as part of a peace deal reached between the couple.
speaking to Sunday Times cultural magazineDominic said: “I hesitate to speak on behalf of my wife because it was obviously horrible, especially for her.”
Dominic West has revealed his kiss scandal with Lily James was “deeply stressful” for his wife Catherine, as he shared his reaction to the snaps for the first time.
In October 2020, her co-stars Lily and married 54-year-old Dominic were caught enjoying what appeared to be a spicy weekend in Rome, which made headlines around the world.
‘But sometimes we joke about it… It was an absurd situation. It was deeply stressful for my wife and children, but there were lighter moments. That was the best thing that came out of this, really.”
Dominic also shared that the media storm surrounding the incident helped him figure out how to play Prince Charles in the final two series of Netflix’s The Crown.
During his time as Charles, he portrayed some of the highlights of his life, including his relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles.
He said: ‘I had a very deep understanding of what it is to feel the horror of your name or your photo in the newspapers.
‘There’s that terrible, cold moment when something about you is revealed. I think anyone can understand how that feels.
‘But I had been through it before and it must have informed how I approached it. That visceral feeling of horror is not something you get used to.
Dominic surprised viewers when he was photographed passionately embracing actress Lily during a romantic getaway amid a pandemic in Rome in 2020, shortly after international travel restrictions were lifted.
The couple didn’t seem to care who saw them as they hugged each other and shared a scooter ride while enjoying the views throughout the day.
At the time he was still married to Catherine and no separation had been publicly announced, but he was not wearing his wedding ring.
A source told MailOnline the couple spent two nights in a suite at the top Hotel De La Ville with a panoramic view of the entire city and just a two-minute walk from the Spanish Steps.
Dominic surprised viewers when he was photographed passionately embracing actress Lily during a romantic getaway amid a pandemic in Rome in 2020.
Following the snapshots that emerged, Dominic made a public show of unity with his wife Catherine FitzGerald.
The uncomfortable picture was not helped by the couple’s strange decision to display a piece of paper with the message: “Our marriage is strong and we are still together.” Thank you’
They only left the hotel for a few hours riding an electric scooter around the Spanish Steps and Piazza di Pietra, before meeting their friend and mutual manager Angharad Wood at a downtown restaurant.
As paparazzi photographers stalked, Lily sat next to Dominic and he couldn’t resist kissing her neck and caressing 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 in July, three months before their surprise holiday.
But the couple go back a long way and starred together in Othello in Sheffield’s Crucible in 2011. Lily played Desdemona when she was 22 and Dominic played Iago when he was 41.
After photos of them finally emerged, the versatile actor gave waiting reporters a surprisingly stiff performance as they gathered outside the sprawling Cotswolds home he shares with a bemused FitzGerald and his children.
Dominic and Lily 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 in July.
The shocked mother-of-four had clutched a handkerchief in her hand as she cautiously left the matrimonial home in Chippenham, Wiltshire with her husband at her side, hiding her ring finger in the pocket of her jeans.
The uncomfortable picture was not helped by the couple’s strange decision to display a piece of paper with the handwritten message: “Our marriage is strong and we are still together.” Thank you.’
FitzGerald later broke his silence to assure MailOnline that his marriage is safe.
She told reporters: “We’re fine, thank you very much, yes we are.” Things are good between us. We don’t need any advice from anyone, thank you.’
In 2022, Lily appeared to break her silence about her cozy outing with Dominic during an interview with Rolling Stone.
Speaking to the publication to promote her role on Hulu’s Pam & Tommy, the actress admitted she sympathized with Pamela Anderson after finding herself in a similar “difficult situation.”
While Lily didn’t directly reference her outing with Dominic, she admitted that being under the same scrutiny as Pamela was “a lot.”
The star noted Pamela’s ‘brush with the gossip rags’, before sharing her own experience.
She said: ‘Women in the public eye at some point experience some kind of difficult situation in their relationship between privacy and their life in the tabloids.
‘It was too much. It is a story as old as time.
Lily had previously refused to speak about the media storm surrounding her and Dominic, after the couple were photographed exploring Rome in October 2020.
When asked during an interview with The Guardian about being at the center of such a storm, she said: “Ach, I’m not really willing to talk about that.” There is a lot to say, but I’m afraid not now.