Dame Emma Thompson felt ‘unlovable’ after being unfaithful to Sir Kenneth Branagh.
The 63-year-old actress’ marriage to the actor-director ended after six years in 1995 when he had an affair with Helena Bonham Carter – who he dated for five years – but she admitted she was “completely blind”. ‘ to her ex-spouse’s adultery, which left her feeling ‘half alive’ when the truth emerged.
She told The New Yorker magazine: “I was completely oblivious to the fact that he was involved with other women on set.
“What I learned was how easy it is to be blinded by your own desire to fool yourself.
“I was half alive. Any feeling of being a lovable or worthy person was completely gone.”
Emma recalled falling for Kenneth on the set of ‘Fortunes of War,’ but admitted her relationship with the ‘hard-to-open’ star was volatile.
She said: “He was glowing with ambition and the energy to achieve.
“Like two lobsters mating, we clawed together.”
The ‘Cruella’ star admitted she was “embarrassed” by the public perception of her marriage.
She said: “I was very embarrassed by the press version of our marriage.
“We didn’t present ourselves that glamorously in any way. I don’t think we wanted to be a power couple and we certainly didn’t feel like it. We’ve also been taunted and mocked – fair enough when you’re famous and overpaid – but it’s no fun.”
After the end of her first marriage, the ‘Harry Potter’ actress met Greg Wise, whom she has described as the one who “picked up the pieces and put them back together” after 27 years together, 19 of which they were married admit that she learned a lot.
She said: “I’ve learned more from my second marriage just because I’m married.
“As my mother says, ‘The first twenty years are the hardest.’ ”
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