A morsel of lingering cable television intrigue has resurfaced this week, but since we’ve been a little preoccupied with Sun Belt states since Tuesday, we can’t blame you if you missed it. Or, if you just totally forgot about The Affair. In a new interview with Stylist, Ruth Wilson candidly opened up about leaving the Showtime series under mysterious circumstances more than two years ago, a decision of which has been the source of tabloid fodder ever since. “The reason I haven’t gone into The Affair is that I haven’t worked out how to discuss it,†she explained. “There’s a lot of noise and anger surrounding it, and really the power rests with me to choose how I discuss my life and my experiences.†Wilson had previously confirmed that her departure had nothing to do with pay parity or creative unfulfillment, but there was rather a “much bigger story†that she wasn’t “allowed†to talk about with the press.
“What’s important to say is that I did speak up. I did have a voice. I did stand up for myself,†Wilson told Stylist. “There was a situation on The Affair where things didn’t feel right, and I dealt with them, and I managed to protect myself. It was before #MeToo and before Harvey Weinstein — and yet my instincts were very clear and strong about what I felt was wrong, about what was going on, and what I didn’t feel safe about.†Two of Wilson’s Affair co-stars, Dominic West and Maura Tierney, have recently weighed in on her departure, although their insights lacked any mention of an unsafe work environment. West has since been entangled in an affair of his own.