Dominic West Details How Wife Catherine FitzGerald Was Affected by Lily James Drama

Dominic West is addressing those pictures of him and Lily James. 

Three and a half years after paparazzi photos of the duo in Rome raised eyebrows, The Crown star reflected on how he and his wife Catherine FitzGerald weathered the media storm. 

"I hesitate to speak on my wife's behalf because it was obviously horrible, particularly for her," Dominic told The Sunday Times in an interview published 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 continued. "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?'" 

In fact Dominic—who has been married to Catherine since 2010 and has four children with her as well as a daughter from his previous relationship with Polly Astor—noted the media frenzy took a toll on the whole family. 

"It was an absurd situation," The Wire actor recalled. "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 suggested that dealing with all the media attention influenced his portrayal of King Charles III on The Crown—with the Netflix drama exploring topics like his marriage to and divorce from Princess Diana, her death in 1997 and his relationship with Queen Camilla.

"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," the 54-year-old told The Sunday Times. "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 and Lily—who starred in The Pursuit of Love—were photographed riding a scooter and getting close as they dined and took in the sights together in Rome in October 2020, per pictures obtained by The Daily Mail. 

After the images spread online, Dominic and Catherine proved they were standing together by kissing in front of reporters and sharing a note that read, "Our marriage is strong and we're very much still together."

As for Lily, she's mostly stayed tight-lipped on the subject.

"Ach, I'm not really willing to talk about that," the Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again actress told The Guardian in 2021. "There is a lot to say, but not now, I'm afraid."

E! News has reached out to Lily's rep for comment but has yet to hear back.

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