Ruth Wilson reveals that she quit 'The Affair' because she 'didn't feel safe' on set
- In an interview with Stylist magazine, Ruth Wilson revealed that she quit Showtime drama "The Affair" because she "didn't feel safe" on set.
- "The reason I haven't gone into 'The Affair' is that I haven't worked out how to discuss it," she said. "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."
- According to The Hollywood Reporter, she added: "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."
Ruth Wilson has finally revealed why she abruptly quit Showtime's hit series "The Affair."
During an interview with Stylist magazine published on Monday, the 38-year-old actor said that she "didn't feel safe" on the production.
"The reason I haven't gone into "The Affair" is that I haven't worked out how to discuss it," she said. "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.
"What's important to say is that I did speak up. I did have a voice. I did stand up for myself. There was a situation on 'The Affair' where things didn't feel right, and I dealt with them, and I managed to protect myself."
According to The Hollywood Reporter, she added: "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."
Representatives for Showtime did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
"The Affair" starred Wilson alongside Dominic West for four seasons before Wilson abruptly quit in 2018 ahead of the show's fifth and final season. The show, which had become extremely popular primetime viewing, revolved around the pair's toxic extramarital affair.
After leaving the show Wilson told The New York Times that her decision was not because of a "pay parity," but there was instead a "much bigger story" at play.
Soon after, The Hollywood Reporter published an interview with an unnamed source who worked on the production who revealed that there was a toxic environment on set, which they alleged was created by the show's creator and executive producer, Sarah Treem, who she said had put pressure on cast members to perform sex scenes.
"There was a culture problem at the show from the very beginning and a tone-deafness from Sarah Treem about recognizing the position she was putting actors in," the source told The Hollywood Reporter. "Over and over again, I witnessed Sarah Treem try to cajole actors to get naked even if they were uncomfortable or not contractually obligated to."
In 2015, Wilson won a Golden Globe award for her performance the same year that the show blindsided critical favorites such as "Game of Thrones " and "House of Cards" and picked up the coveted Best Television Series (Drama) award. The show ran for one more season after Wilson's departure.
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