Dominic West Addresses Family Fallout From Viral Lily James Photos While Married

Dominic West is opening up about rumors that circulated about their relationship after he was photographed in Rome with the Mama Mia actress while being married to Catherine FitzGerald.

In a new interview with The Times published April 21, The Crown actor spoke about how he and his wife dealt with the gossip after he and former co-star James were photographed together in Rome in 2020.

West said that he and FitzGerland, who have been married since 2010, joked about the tabloid headlines that followed them after the incident.

"I hesitate to speak on my wife's behalf because it was obviously horrible, particularly for her," he told the outlet, making light of the situation with a laugh. "But we do joke about it sometimes."

The photos, which were published by the Daily Mail in October 2020, saw West and James riding a scooter together around Rome and enjoying a meal together. At one point, West appeared to nuzzle James' neck.

"It was an absurd situation," West said. "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."

One photo saw the pair, -- who were filming a BBC adaptation of Nancy Mitford's classic novel The Pursuit of Love at the time -- at the airport in Rome together.

Just one day later, West and FitzGerald publicly addressed the reports with a big showing of PDA.

The couple, who share four children -- two girls and two boys -- kissed and posed for photographs with a letter that read, "Our marriage is strong and we're very much still together. Thank you. Catherine and Dominic."

The letter was distributed after West and FitzGerald kissed for the cameras outside their Wiltshire, England home.

The Pam & Tommy actress, meanwhile, has previously declined to address the controversy, telling The Guardian in 2021 that there was "a lot to say" though she wasn't ready to speak on it.

"Ach, I'm not really willing to talk about that," James said at the time, when asked about the incident. "There is a lot to say, but not now, I'm afraid."