‘It’s devastating, but not in the way people imagine’: Rosamund Pike on her broken engagement and why she won’t get married

Rosamund Pike isn't only a fantastic actress, she is also open to frank conversations about things that matter.

The star is an advocate for women to challenge the patriarchy and push back against unrealistic ageing and beauty standards, and champions for equal professional recognition in the workplace.

During a recent appearance on the How To Fail With Elizabeth Day podcast, Rosamund discussed a previous broken engagement, reflecting on the misogyny surrounding her initial decision to get married, and how that affected her future relationship.

The engagement Rosamund refers to, it to director Joe Wright - the pair met on the set of Pride & Prejudice, and she believed they were madly in love.

The couple were together four years and became engaged in 2007, when the actress was 28-years-old. They were due to be married in 2008, but Joe called it off just weeks before the wedding.

Speaking to Elizabeth Day, Rosamund reflects that getting engaged at is "A big deal for a 28-year-old," because it's "your sort of template for womanhood, you're doing the right thing" by making that commitment.

She adds, "I remember him even asking me, 'Are you pleased that you're getting married before you're 30?,' and I thought, 'Yes, actually, I think I am.' It feels right, it feels romantic."

The actress then turns to what happened when Joe ended the engagement so abruptly. "When you don't get married, people think the absolute worst," she says.

Actor Rosamund Pike on Failed Relationships, Parenting and Reflections on Being A Bond Girl - YouTube

Watch On

Rosamund continues, "We had a huge love affair. We were very, very in love. We had masses of adventures. We were very wild. And then it all fell apart."

In the aftermath of her broken engagement, the actress recalls speculation was rife about why Joe had ended the relationship and called off the wedding.

"Everybody thinks it must be an affair, polygamy, a drug scandal. People definitely think the worst. And you get the benevolent pity again, from all angles. And it is devastating," she recalls, sadly.

However, she does add that "It's not devastating in the any of the ways that people imagine," not delving into the reason the wedding was called off, but revealing it was for "far less spectacular" reasons than people were speculating.

Delving into the months after her relationship ended, Rosamund recalls not wanting to be around people who were happy because it was too difficult, with celebrations having no meaning.

She calls this time "a big adult failure," adding, "you really love someone, and they don't love you anymore."

However, when she came to terms with her loss, the actress was able to see the positives and feel "freedom" from not being tied to a marriage.

"There's so many other templates for how life can look for a woman," she says, positively, adding, "there are so many other ways love can look like."

Now aged 47, she's been in a relationship with businessman Robie Uniacke for many years, and they share sons, Solo and Atom.

"'I'm not married, but I have a family and I've been with someone 15 years happily not married," she explains, continuing to explain that after her broken engagement, it was important for her to specifically cement her love with Robie in a way that didn't involve a wedding. For her, this was starting their family.

"I'm the centre of attention so often, I don't need a wedding," she says, concluding, "You know, I don't even know what having a wedding is about."