Dominic West, Wife Catherine Now Joke About 'Stressful' Lily James Scandal

Dominic West and Catherine West. Dave Benett/Getty Images for Horatio's Garden

and have overcome his 2020 scandal after he was photographed kissing .

“I hesitate to speak on my wife’s behalf because it was obviously horrible, particularly for her,” West, 54, told London’s The Sunday Times in a profile published on Sunday, April 21. “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.’”

He added, “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?’”

West and FitzGerald, 52, have been married since 2010. However, in October 2020, the Crown star was photographed kissing James, his The Pursuit of Love costar, in Rome, sparking affair rumors. West stroked James’ hair as they rode around the Eternal City on an electric scooter. He was not wearing his wedding ring in the snaps.

Related: Celebrity Couples Who Stayed Together After Cheating ScandalsMany Hollywood marriages have overcome allegations of infidelity over the years. Former Vanderpump Rules stars Brittany Cartwright and Jax Taylor worked through Taylor’s cheating past — he was caught hooking up with former costar Faith Stowers during season 6  — before getting married in June 2019. “I see him every single day making efforts and […]

Shortly after the photos were published, West and FitzGerald confirmed in a statement that they were “very much still together.” They put their statement in a handwritten note left outside their Wiltshire, England, home as they also kissed for the photographers waiting on their street. The posed photos were dubbed a “show of unity” amid the scandal.

“It was an absurd situation. It was deeply stressful for my wife and my kids, but there were lighter moments,” West told The Sunday Times. “That was the best that came out of it, really.”

Dominic West and Catherine West stand for a photo with their children. Mike Marsland/WireImage

West and FitzGerald share four children: sons Senan, 15, and Francis, 14, and daughters Dora, 18, and Christabel, 8. The Affair alum also shares eldest daughter Martha, 25, with ex-girlfriend .

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While West did not mention James, 35, by name in Sunday’s interview, he also revealed that the situation helped his portrayal of on Netflix’s The Crown. (The British king, 75, infamously had an affair with now-wife when he was married to the late .)

Related: Lily James' Dating History: Matt Smith, Chris Evans and MoreSearching for The One? Lily James has been linked to a handful of Hollywood’s hottest hunks — and fueled plenty of speculation along the way. The Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again star briefly sparked a romance with British actor Jack Fox in 2011, but the pair’s flame fizzled out after one year together. Her […]

“I’d had a very acute understanding of what it’s like to feel the horror of your name or your photograph coming up in the newspapers,” West recalled. “There is that dreadful freezing moment when something is being revealed about you. I think anyone can understand how that feels. But I’d been through it a couple of years previously and it must have informed how I approached it. That gut feeling of horror isn’t something you get inured to.”

James, for her part, previously addressed the rumors during a 2021 interview with The Guardian. “Ach, I’m not really willing to talk about that,” she said at the time. “There is a lot to say, but not now, I’m afraid.”

In this articleDominic West

Dominic West, Wife Catherine Now Joke About 'Stressful' Lily James Scandal

Dominic West, Wife Catherine Now Joke About 'Stressful' Lily James Scandal

Dominic West, Wife Catherine Now Joke About 'Stressful' Lily James Scandal

Dominic West, Wife Catherine Now Joke About 'Stressful' Lily James Scandal

Dominic West, Wife Catherine Now Joke About 'Stressful' Lily James Scandal