The British actor Dominic West agreed that parting ways with his first wife, Polly Astor, was one of the 'biggest sadnesses' of his life.
Speaking on the Rosebud with Gyles Brandreth podcast, Dominic opened up about the split from Polly - the daughter of the late politician Michael Langhorne Astor and Nancy Astor, the first woman to take a seat in the British House of Commons - told the broadcaster, he felt "too young" at 28 to settle down after she gave birth to their daughter, Martha.
Asked if the end of his relationship with Polly was "one of the big sadnesses" or "shames" of his life, Dominic said: "I suppose so, yes. I suppose I wish my eldest daughter had had some of the advantages or some of the security that my others have had."
"I think I was too young. I was 28," the Downton Abbey star said: "I was just leaving drama school and looking towards America, and so it came at the wrong time, really. It was very difficult, that ending."
How did their relationship end?
The former couple met at university in the late 1990s. They welcomed Martha in 1998, before separating in 2002.
According to the Mail, Dominic previously admitted it was he who ended the relationship.
He explained: "It was terrible because it was all me. I wanted out. I hurt Polly very badly, but at the time, I wasn't ready to settle down. I was doing films all over the place and didn't want to be tied down. Then I got The Wire."
During his appearance on Gyles' aforementioned podcast, Polly and Dominic have been able to rebuild a good friendship, "we're great friends now,' he said, adding that his eldest daughter Martha, who is a write and an actress, is fully integrated into his family with his wife Catherine and their children Dora, 19, Senan, 17, Francis, 14, and Christabel, nine.
Dominic's marriage to Catherine
In 2010, Dominic tied the knot with his now-wife, Irish landscape designer Catherine, 54. The couple split their time between London and Catherine's ancestral home, Glin Castle in County Limerick, Ireland, which has been in the FitzGerald family for more than 700 years.
Their marriage made headlines in 2020 after he was photographed kissing his Pursuit of Love co-star Lily James on holiday in Rome.
Despite what happened, Catherine stood by her husband and, following the incident, issued a joint statement from their home in Wiltshire.
Standing outside their home, Dominic kissed his wife, Catherine Fitzgerald, while telling press: "I just want to say our marriage is strong and we are very much still together."
Following their public statement, the couple then handed out a piece of paper which bore the same words and contained both of their signatures.
Speaking about the Lily James scandal in 2024, Dominic admitted it was "deeply stressful" for his wife and children, though the couple have since found humour in the situation.