Ruth Wilson said on Thursday that she’s “not allowed to talk about” why she chose to leave Showtime’s “The Affair.”
Appearing on “CBS This Morning,” Wilson confirmed that she would not be returning to the Showtime drama after her character’s death earlier this season. “I’m not coming back, so she’s dead,” Wilson said, adding that despite the show’s fractured narrative, she believes her character to have been murdered.
When asked about her departure, Wilson kept her answer short. “I did want to leave, but I am not allowed to talk about why,” she said, declining to explain further.
She did, however, seem to deny that the decision was tied to her previous comments regarding a pay disparity with her co-star Dominic West.
“I’ve never complained to Showtime about pay parity,” she told “CBS This Morning” host Gayle King.
In a statement, Showtime said the decision was a creative one, which came at the natural conclusion of Wilson’s character’s arc.
“We can’t speak for Ruth, but heading into season four everyone agreed the character’s story had run its course,” the network said. “Ultimately, it felt like the most powerful creative decision would be to end Alison’s arc at the moment when she had finally achieved self-empowerment. The impact of her loss will be felt as the series concludes next season. We thank the many fans who embraced the character of Alison and especially thank Ruth for her indelible work over the past four seasons.”
Ahead of “The Affair’s” currently airing fourth season, Wilson said in an interview that she “definitely” gets paid less than a male actor would in her situation. She also said she believed she was being paid less than West, though had not had a conversation with him about salary.
“They [the producers] might argue, ‘Well, he’s already done a major American TV show [The Wire] so he’s already got a level,’” she said. “But even after a Golden Globe I’m not going to be on parity.”
Showtime did not immediately return TheWrap’s request for comment.