Ruth Wilson “didn’t feel safe” on ‘The Affair’.
Ruth Wilson
The 38-year-old actress quit the drama series after four seasons in 2018 amid reports of a toxic work environment and her discomfort at frequent nude scenes and though she’s never directly addressed the reasons behind her departure, Ruth admitted she was involved in a situation that “didn’t feel right”.
She said: “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.”
Ruth - who played the character Alison Lockhart - is still unsure how to discuss the reasons for her departure but is thankful she has the “power” to choose how and when she does talk about it.
She told Stylist magazine: “The reason I haven’t gone into ‘The Affair’ is that I haven’t worked out how to discuss it. 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.
Showrunner Sarah Treem has previously slammed reports of a “toxic” set and allegations she had pressured stars to strip off on camera.
She previously said: "On a continuous basis throughout Ruth’s time on the show, I tried to protect her and shoot sex scenes safely and respectfully ... We didn’t agree on the choices of the character or whether or not a sex scene was necessary to advance the plot, but that is not the same thing as not respecting or supporting an actress's need to feel safe in her work environment, which is something I always take incredibly seriously."
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