Lily James Addresses Her Scandal With Dominic West

In October 2020, actors Lily James and Dominic West caused a media frenzy when they were spotted in Italy being rather flirtatious with one another. The Daily Mail noted that the two were seen "passionately kissing while dining al fresco during a romantic break in Rome," and released photos of the canoodling in quesiton. 

The outlet also noted that West, who is married to Irish landscape designer and aristocrat Catherine FitzGerald, was pictured not wearing his wedding ring. Needless to say, it led to a lot of raised eyebrows. Following the release of the pictures, West spoke to reporters, telling them (via the Daily Mail), "Our marriage is strong and we're very much still together."

While West was quick to shut down the romance rumors, James stayed silent about the PDA-filled photos, even canceling a "Today" show appearance immediately after the photos surfaced. However, in a May 2021 interview she broke her silence on the matter — kind of.

Keep reading to find out what the "Mamma Mia" star revealed about the head-turning moment with her "The Pursuit of Love" co-star.

In a May 2021 interview, Lily James finally broke her silence on the romance scandal that surrounded her and actor Dominic West. While sitting down with The Guardian, James was asked about the "media storm" that revolved around the "rumors of an affair with [her] 'Pursuit of Love' cast mate." 

Unlike West, as of this writing, James hadn't addressed the scandal publicly. Instead, only sources close to the star have spoken up. E! News reported that one insider said, "She's mortified and embarrassed by the entire thing. She was shocked when she saw the photos and his story that he is happily married." The source continued, "She wants it all to go away and is just laying low hoping it will pass quickly."

So, what was her response to The Guardian's question? The "Downton Abbey" star was coy with her answer, saying, "Ach, I'm not really willing to talk about that. There is a lot to say, but not now, I'm afraid." All that being said, it doesn't look like we will be getting to the bottom of this scandal just yet. However, it seems like James could potentially be persuaded to open up about the situation a little bit further down the road.