Lily James breaks her silence on Dominic West affair scandal

For the first time, Lily James has been directly asked about her alleged affair with Dominic West In an interview with The Observer.

Lily was first linked to the married actor in October 2020, when photos emerged of the two displaying affection for one another on a trip to Rome. The pair were photographed holding hands and kissing and the images were quickly published by the British press. This story became a media sensation as Dominic has been married to his wife Catherine FitzGerald for over a decade and the couple has four children together.

Neither Lily nor Dominic has confirmed whether they dated and it is unknown if the two are romantically involved. Dominic is still married to his wife and the married couple posted a message outside of their home confirming their relationship status. The note that was placed outside the couple's home was signed by Dominic and his wife Catherine and read, “Our marriage is strong and we are very much still together. Thank you.”

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Dominic and Lily are about to star in the BBC adaptation of Nancy Mitford’s 1945 novel, The Pursuit of Love. It was in an interview about this upcoming project that Lily broke her silence about the rumoured affair between herself and Dominic West.

In an interview with The Observer, interviewer Michael Hogan asked the actress, “You found yourself at the centre of a media storm last autumn [due to rumours of an affair with Pursuit of Love castmate Dominic West]. What was that like?” Lily addressed the rumours and admitted that there was "a lot to say", however she refused to comment on the gossip at that time.

Lily replied to the interviewer, “Ach, I’m not really willing to talk about that. There is a lot to say, but not now, I’m afraid.”

Despite the awkward question, Lily seemed to remain upbeat as she spoke about her relationships with other members of the cast. The interviewer asked, “How was it working with Andrew Scott, who plays Lord Merlin?”

Lily replied, “Oh, he’s extraordinary. He brings so much. That’s another beautiful relationship, Lord Merlin and Linda … they’re true soulmates. Andrew and I talked about how you don’t have to define some friendships. All sorts of people can become great loves of your life.”

The interviewer then asked if she too fancied him—like the rest of the nation—when he played the hot priest in Fleabag. He asked, “Did you succumb to hot priest mania when he was in Fleabag? ”Lily replied jovially, “Of course I did. What a show. He was catapulted into everyone’s heart with that part.”

The star also continued to be very relatable as she told the interviewer about how she spent her lockdown. The star revealed, "I did jigsaw puzzles and watched Schitt's Creek. I drank too much wine and woke up at midday." 

She also spoke about some upcoming roles as she ended the interview on a positive note. She said, "I also read a script by Jemima Khan called What’s Love Got to Do With It. We ended up shooting that with Working Title at the turn of the year. I got to act opposite Shazad Latif, who’s one of my closest friends. After being starved of human connection, it was great to be surrounded by people I love."