Emma Thompson Said Kenneth Branagh and Helena Bonham Carter’s Affair Was All ‘Blood Under the Bridge’ 18 Years After Her Divorce
Emma Thompson is one of Hollywood’s most distinguished actors, with an impressive career spanning stage and screen. The now-63-year-old, who has appeared in many critically-acclaimed productions during her time in the entertainment industry, has never shied away from speaking her mind.
Thompson also doesn’t mind letting fans into her personal life on occasion. In 2013, the actor opened up about her marriage to Kenneth Branagh, giving her thoughts on the affair that ended the highly-publicized union.
Emma Thompson and Kenneth Branagh were an A-list Hollywood couple
Thompson was a star on the rise in the late ’80s, when she first crossed paths with Kenneth Branagh, the acclaimed actor, writer, and director.
They struck up a romance in 1987, tying the knot in 1989. Thompson and Branagh then became one of the most high-profile couples in Hollywood, working together on several movie projects, including Much Ado about Nothing and Peter’s Friends.
According to Us Weekly, things went south between the pair in 1994. Reportedly, while Branagh was filming Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Branagh began a romance with actor Helena Bonham Carter, who had previously worked with Thompson on the film Howard’s End.
In 1995, Branagh and Thompson announced their split. Although at the time, neither one discussed the affair publicly or attributed their divorce to the illicit romance.
Emma Thompson admitted she felt ‘half alive’ after learning of Kenneth Branagh’s infidelity
Branagh and Carter continued their romance for about five years, even after Branagh and Thompson divorced. Ultimately, Carter would take up with film director Tim Burton. Both Branagh and Thompson went on to find love with other people. Thompson has also become very open about that time in her life.
In a 2022 interview with the New Yorker, Thompson admitted that she was completely blindsided by Branagh’s affair. According to Fox News, Thompson said, “I was utterly, utterly blind to the fact that he had relationships with other women on set. What I learned was how easy it is to be blinded by your own desire to deceive yourself.”
The Love Actually star also revealed that she was shattered emotionally in the wake of the affair. “I was half alive,” she said. “Any sense of being a lovable or worthy person had gone completely.”
Interestingly enough, Thompson, Branagh, and Carter would all go on to work on the same franchise years after the devastating affair when they all accepted roles in the Harry Potter film series. Though they all played important roles in the franchise, the three actors didn’t share any scenes together.
What did Emma Thompson say about her relationship with Helena Bonham Carter?
These days, Thompson is happily married to Greg Wise, and the pair share two children. The two started dating in the ’90s, after Branagh’s affair ended Thompson’s marriage to the director, tying the knot in 2003. Thompson is fulfilled in love and has no negative feelings about what happened in the past.
In 2013, Thompson admitted that she holds no ill will towards Branagh or Carter. According to Cosmopolitan, Thompson said that the affair was “blood under the bridge’, noting, “You can’t hold on to anything like that. It’s pointless. I haven’t got the energy for it. Helena and I made our peace years and years ago.”
As for Branagh, he wed film art director Lindsay Brunnock in 2003. They are happily married to this day, with no more scandals. For Branagh, Thompson, and Carter, time truly does heal all wounds.
