Ruth Wilson opened up about her character (Alison Lockhart) getting killed in the Showtime hit, The Affair, during her appearance on CBS This Morning on Thursday. When asked what causes the death, Wilson answered, “I think it’s murder,” then she confirmed she won’t be back on the show.
“I’m not coming back, because she’s dead,” the 36-year-old actress revealed.
Wilson was franked when she was asked by co-host Gayle King if she wanted to leave the show. “I did want to leave, but I’m not allowed to talk about why,” the actress said.
When King pressed her on whether the pay gap between her and male co-stars was the issue, she replied, “I’ve never complained to Showtime about pay parity.”
After Wilson’s interview, Showtime responded saying that Alison’s story “had run its course.”
“We can’t speak for Ruth, but heading into season four everyone agreed the character’s story had run its course,” the network said in a statement. “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.”
Showtime announced last month that The Affair was renewed for a fifth and final season.
“We love the intimacy, the nuance and the emotional honesty of The Affair’s subjective examination of both infidelity and fidelity,” Gary Levine, Showtime’s President of Programming, said in a statement at the time. “[Co-creator and showrunner] Sarah Treem has always envisioned this as a five-season series, and we will be fascinated to see where she takes her talented cast and all of us next year in its climactic season.”
She had come such a long way. #TheAffair #Showtime pic.twitter.com/JpcxWW6itw
— The Affair (@SHO_TheAffair) August 15, 2018
