Dominic West‘s recent headline-making behavior with Lily James has left us shocked, confused, and mostly feeling bad for his wife of 10 years, Catherine FitzGerald!

As we reported on Monday, paparazzi caught the 50-year-old The Affair star seemingly stepping out on his marriage with the 31-year-old British actress in Rome; the two enjoyed a romantic electric scooter ride around the city, lunch with their talent manager, and even shared a juicy kiss at one point, too. Oof.

Despite a claim that the married pair were “probably over” after the ordeal, West and his wife have since responded to the drama by trying to pretend like nothing ever happened, leaving us even more skeptical of what to believe!

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However, it turns out the actor shared a very telling clue about his marriage almost a decade ago that makes a lot more sense in the wake of this rumored affair. Esquire did an online profile on Dominic back in 2012, highlighting his transition from portraying The Wire‘s Jimmy McNulty to a new role on BBC America‘s series The Hour, where he starred as a self-destructive newscaster who drinks too much and sleeps around. Obviously privy to West’s history of salacious roles, the interviewer asked:

“How does your wife feel about you having sort of cornered the market on dashing adulterous lushes?”

Listen up, because his response is where things really get interesting! The father of five replied:

“Oh, you are nice to say that. She doesn’t care. As long as I’m back with the kids, I can play up my advantages as much as I like. I’ve known her for twenty years now, and she dumped me on several occasions. I can’t surprise her in any way now.”

Wow, there’s so much to unpack right there.

First of all, what the heck does he even mean by “playing up my advantages?” That sounds like creepy code for someone who enjoys a license to flirt with anyone (including hot, eligible Hollywood stars like lily) just because he’s an actor or in character. Ew! If so, then it makes sense why he claimed his wife dumped him so many times and that’s not something to be proud of.

Let’s also consider the fact that this interview was conducted just two years after the couple wed in July 2010. It’s kind of sad to think this casual dynamic had already been established so early on in the pair’s relationship, even despite the long history they share. And who admits that like it’s a badge of honor, anyway? UGH! Talk about embarrassing your spouse…

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Maybe we’re way more offended by this quote than we should be, because as we mentioned up top, Dominic and Catherine are putting on a united front through this rough patch. They held a bizarre, impromptu press conference with reporters on Tuesday where West insisted their marriage is “strong” as they are “very much still together.”

An insider close to FitzGerald painted a very different picture of the ongoing situation to DailyMail.com the day prior, though! Their source noted:

“To say she’s in shock would be an understatement. She’s heartbroken and has got nothing to publicly say. She needs to be left alone and have some time to herself.”

Perezcious readers, you can check out Dominic’s wide-ranging full interview (HERE) and share your reactions with us (below) in the comments. We want to hear from you — do U think there’s a possible divorce on the horizon or will this couple be able to survive such a public, messy situation like this one?

[Image via Lia Toby/WENN]

The post This Dominic West Quote From 8 Years Ago Might Tell You Everything You Need To Know About His Marriage! appeared first on Perez Hilton.