Lily James Was ‘Shocked’ After Dominic West Denied Cheating on His Wife

Following their kiss, Lily James was shocked by Dominic West’s cheating denial. A source told E! News on October 22 that the Rebecca actress, 31, was “mortified” after learning that The Affair alum, 51, was still married to Catherine FitzGerald, 49, his wife of 10 years, after their romantic outing in Rome.

James is “mortified and embarrassed by the entire thing,” says the source. “She was shocked when she saw the photos and his story that he is happily married.” As for the photos in question: On October 11, James and West were photographed kissing in Rome, Italy, where they were reportedly set to film their upcoming BBC mini-series, The Pursuit of Love. A report by The Daily Mail at the time also suggested that the pair looked cozy as they toured the ancient city, hitting up landmarks such as the Spanish Steps and the Piaza di Pietra. Now, the Cinderella alum just “wants it all to go away and is just laying low hoping it will pass quickly,” adds E!’s insider.

A day after their romantic photos surfaced, West and James flew back home together. Meanwhile, sources close to West’s wife suggested that she was “devastated” by the rumored affair. “Catherine has seen the pictures and she’s devastated,” the source told the newspaper. “I came over to speak with her as soon as I knew about them. Catherine has been trying to speak with Dominic but he’s not answering his phone. She’s totally shocked because she didn’t know anything was going on. They were very much together, so this is completely out of the blue.”

Shortly after being spotted at the airport with James, however, the English actor was joined by his wife at his residence in Cotswold, England, where they shared a note with reporters. “Our marriage is strong and we’re very much still together,” it read. The married couple—who share kids Senan, Dora, and Francis—posed for photos, including one with a kiss.

Despite the pair’s united front, a source with Us Weekly suggests that West was “flirtatious” with his co-star while away. “Dominic and Lily had spent a lot of time together on set working together,” the source told the outlet on October 22. “Dominic didn’t seem to be trying to hide the fact that he was attracted to her. The way Dominic was carrying on with Lily people assumed that he was allowed to stray from his marriage.”