Gillian Anderson’s ex moved in with another woman, returned to Gillian in a month

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Gillian Anderson and The Crown director, Peter Morgan, were together for four years but weren’t living together. They broke up in mid December with the official reasoning that it was logistics. That’s the default reason couples give for splitting and doesn’t mean much. When I reported on it I wrote “I would like to learn more about this but they’re British and Gillian isn’t messy about her personal life.” Gillian isn’t messy, but Peter sure is! Right after that we heard that he was seeing Jemima Goldsmith, a British TV presenter and producer whom I know as Jemima Khan (she is going by her maiden name now). Peter and Jemima had known each other as friends and supposedly hooked up romantically in January, although I bet there was overlap. Gillian was reportedly “bemused” by that news. About a month later and Peter and Jemima broke up and he came running back to Gillian. Supposedly she took him back and Jemima is “shocked and confused!”

[Peter Morgan and Jemima Goldsmith] were said to have enjoyed an intense romance that blossomed early in the New Year, and by mid-January friends were saying they were in a ‘legit support bubble’ during the third lockdown.

Gillian, 52, whom he had dated for four years, was said to be ‘bemused’ by the news — and, notably, by the speed with which it progressed, just weeks after they had parted ways.

Now it can be revealed, however, that this romance has come to an abrupt halt after just a month, and Peter has gone back to Gillian, leaving Jemima ‘shocked and confused’.

Peter is said have joined Gillian in Prague in the Czech Republic, where she is due to spend the next two months working on her latest film, White Bird: A Wonder Story…

One of Jemima’s friends says: ‘Peter pursued her, rather than the other way around. He persuaded her that they would be great together, but has now gone back to Gillian.

‘This has happened in the past week. She is pretty knocked for six about it.

‘People are appalled by his behaviour. It seems really rather unstable. He had said he was serious about Jemima and she was certainly serious about the romance with him.’

Jemima had endured gossip over an apparent breach of the ‘girl code’ in taking up with Peter. Even though she and Gillian were not close friends, she found the attention painful, particularly as she takes loyalty to girlfriends very seriously.

[From The Daily Mail]

The title to this story has the parenthetical question “(but why would she want him?)” which I am asking too. I say that, but it’s hard to date in your late 40s/early 50s when you have teenagers at home. The pool is small and dirty, and I bet it’s even worse among those rich famous people. The Mail quotes Gillian’s recent interviews where she says she’s happy single. I kind of wish she hadn’t taken Peter back, but I get it. Pickings can be slim, even when you’re a gorgeous celebrity. I just made myself a little depressed writing this.

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67 Responses to “Gillian Anderson’s ex moved in with another woman, returned to Gillian in a month”

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  1. Alexandria says:

    Her face in that Instagram post matches the headlines lol

  2. Sojaschnitzel says:

    Damn, I’d rather be single than take such a loser back.

  3. JaneDoesWerk says:

    I’m kind of getting a vibe from this piece that I should feel badly for Jemima but I kind of don’t? I mean yeah it sucks to be led on like that….. but you knew he had been in a relationship for years with someone that you also knew. Maybe there was overlap, maybe there wasn’t. But if there wasn’t it had still only been a few weeks? Idk I’m not surprised he went running back to Gillian, I am surprised that she took him back after this and that Jemima was even surprised at all.

  4. Snuffles says:

    Gillian is an absolute babe. I can’t imagine pickings are THAT slim for her.

  5. Hell Nah! says:

    He sounds somewhat unstable. I hope Gillian does not come to regret taking him back.

    • Darla says:

      Oh she will. I’ve never known a woman who didn’t. I know people are going to come on with stories now…oh I know someone who did and they lived forever and so happy! Okay. I’m just telling you, I’ve seen this, even in my own family, and to a woman, they regret it and literally curse the day. One feels that’s the day she ruined her life. (btw, that one’s married to my brother and I agree with her)

      • Teresa says:

        I’m sure there are plenty of stories where it worked out in the end, but you’re very right that most probably regret wasting their single opportunity in life on someone not worth the time of day.

  6. Mrs. Peel says:

    I would imagine there are hundreds (thousands, millions?) of men well under her age that would want to be with her. Not only is she an amazing actress, but she’s gorgeous, funny, and intelligent to boot. Why take the creep back Gillian, WHYYY?!

  7. Soupie says:

    Good line Kaiser: “the [dating] pool is small and dirty”

    I know so many people who’ve gotten lucky but I never did (far from it) and I’m done with it I’ve actually been done with it for more than 20 years. It just is what it is. I’m an introvert. I love spending time alone doing things that are done alone: reading, researching, gardening, plauing music, hiking with my dogs, the list goes on. In my experience men are too self-centered and controlling to work well in my life.

    As for Gillian, who knows why she went back? Maybe they’re good together and hey she hasnt had to put up with him in her own house so it probably works really well for her. In my view she’s got the best of both worlds. She’s a total winner, so all I will say is please don’t lose any more weight Gillian cuz your face is looking a little gaunt otherwise you’re still absolutely freaking gorgeous which at your age is not surprising (still young).

    • Esmom says:

      I laughed at that line, too. The whole piece was a delight, really.

      Your life sounds lovely. In fact one of my best friends is very similar, and unhappily single. He’s gay, though, and the dating pool, at least where he lives in CA, seems extra dirty. His stories! I wish he could feel more at peace about being alone.

  8. Mel says:

    ‘The pool is small and dirty’ – ha love it. Sure GA is bemused…. she’ll get hers in the end and then who will be bemused. Jemima needs to shut it fast. It’s a bad look for her and talking about it makes her look worse.

    • L4frimaire says:

      Well that’s definitely messy and small and dirty. Jemima Goldsmith was one of those Tatler “It” girls in the 90s when she went and married Imran Khan. Think she briefly dated Hugh Grant as well.Guess that Golden Globe nomination make Gillian Anderson look way more attractive and worth going back to. It is a bit depressing.

  9. Lucy2 says:

    I’m wondering if there was no overlap, but like many men he couldn’t be alone, and after he and Gillian broke up he ran to the first woman he could find. And then not surprisingly that didn’t work out.

  10. manda says:

    She is nothing but fabulous, I love her to pieces

  11. Solidgolddancer says:

    Maybe it’s that mindset of it being harder for older women to date that keeps perpetuating this myth. Pickings may or not be slim but I’m going to always choose me first.

    • manda says:

      I know, right? I love my husband, but I do fantasize about being single. And how easy would it be to be single with the life that being an international movie and television star affords you!?

      • Solidgolddancer says:

        Yes! Imagine all the access and the opportunities! Plus the kids are older…I’d be living it up (safely) right now!

    • MaryContrary says:

      Yes. Good lord. I adore my husband-but if something happened I don’t know if I’d even bother with dating again. I certainly wouldn’t put up with any crap.

    • Joanna says:

      Yeah, I was kind of scared about dating after divorce because I’m 45 but for the most part, I’m having a blast! I get hit on by guys in their 30s and I’m not super attractive or thin. I’m having more luck getting laid than I did when I was younger. As far as relationships go, those guys have kids and baggage but that’s just about any guy my age. I’m enjoying not cleaning up after anyone or answering to anyone else! I’m starting to understand why some women don’t want to get married again. So much easier being single.

  12. newmenow says:

    Alrighty, I’m gonna join in here to say Nope, nope, nope to GA taking this guy back. No.
    Do not waste time anymore time with this guy.

    Forward always move forward. Man, have I learned this the hard way IRL.

    GA could do better on her worst day.

  13. LillyfromLillooet says:

    I was on Tinder for a while and I actually felt that there was a glut in the market of 45-55 year old guys who had older children and the marriage fell apart.

    How you account for the dating pool is key: I talk to some people who say “there isn’t anyone out there” and what they mean is “there isn’t anyone hot and fit and well off and I’ve gone on 50 dates with shlubs and they don’t count!”

    Lots of men in this age bracket also want to date younger women; however, there is a noted number that are absolutely positively not interested having an infant with a 37-year-old and will seek women who have already solved the children or not thing one way or another. There is freedom for women in their fifties because searching for the father of their future children, etc–it’s about the here and now.

    I’m sorry to hear about Jemima–she dated Hugh Grant and that’s what I know her from. Peter sounds like a freaking nightmare.

    • Ohlala says:

      I just deleted all dating apps to take a break. The stories i can tell!!! It is not easy… what I’ve learned that when it comes to age and expierience in men case it doesn’t matter. The amount of shitty behaviour from.over 40′ is astounding. Ghosting etc is literally shocking. And being attractive and available and in a good life position (not looking for husband or more kids) doesn’t put you in any favourable position at all. Ha even to get a date any date is nearly impossible

    • lucy2 says:

      There are a lot of divorced guys in that age range. I just always wonder how many of them, suddenly being out on their own again, are just looking for someone to do all the household stuff again for them.
      One of my friends just got divorced, her husband did very little with the house or kids, and I bet you anything he gets a girlfriend and moves her in quickly.

      • Ohlala says:

        @Lucy2 yes loads. Also what i’ve noticed that the guys are so so quick to move on and to search for someone. Theyjust can’t be on their own. I’ve learned to ask how long anyone is single. Some were only weeks out of relationship.
        Most want to waste your time and just chat or text.
        I grew such thick skin for dating. I am attractive still relatively young, slim, good job,own house, child growing up. No need for husband or marriage or babies. No pressure. I don’t even want to live with anyone anymore 🤣 and guess what, still single and the amount of time i was ghosted or dates were cancelled. And i am looking for such a good simple arrangement just for companion a nd physical activity 😂 IT IS TOUGH OUT THERE if you’re a woman in 40,s

      • Veronica S. says:

        To be honest, I also suspect it’s loneliness. We don’t socialize men to have emotionally intimate relationships outside of marriage in American culture, so quite often, their wife is their closest friend. When they lose that, a lot of them just don’t have support systems in place that women have. It’s why they struggle more later in life as well. I imagine if we addressed that culturally, it would ease off a bit.

      • LillyfromLillooet says:

        @Ohlala & @Veronica @2lazy4username @TimWhatley

        Hearing all of this, and interestingly my experience reflects the dudes looking for their next lillypad. I went out with a fellow who was 3 months out of a 15 year relationship who tried to be “on this own” and was in a bad way after 3 months of singlehood.

        He was, as he said, “domesticated and trained” and has many lovely traits, does all our cooking and takes great care of me. He’s not perfect, and I can see why things fell apart with his marriage, but we are in such a different situation and many years later, I’m still so happy and smitten. But to validate what you all are saying, FOR SURE he was looking for a replacement.

    • 2lazy4username says:

      I found my 52-year old soul mate at 52 on a dating app. And I didn’t believe in soul mates. Or dating apps. <3

      • Ohlala says:

        So there is still some hope for me 🤔😂

      • Tim Whatley says:

        Me too – got out of a 23 year marriage (at age 42) and grabbed all the d**k I could off Tinder (I was purposefully about saying “no thanks” to any whiff of relationship/neediness) but despite my best efforts, found my dream dude after about 6 months of that. SIX months, ugh. Seriously, wanted to be solo, but my stupid heart, lol. We’ve been together for four years, bought house together (halfsies) but we’re not super interested in marriage or commingling finances.

  14. Tiffany says:

    Damnit Gillian, I am right here.

    What??

    She is on My List.

  15. Nicole says:

    It must be very hard to find someone once you’re famous. I imagine there are a ton of Casper Smarts out there that you have to be very careful to avoid. A known is less creepy than an unknown at her stage of fame.

  16. Amelie says:

    Gillian is kind of messy, she just hides it better. She was divorced twice in a decade and neither marriage lasted more than two or three years. After that, I’m guessing she vowed never to get married again because she’s been in a few long term relationships without marrying her partners. She’s just so low-key, her messiness is low-key too.

  17. ODear says:

    Peter Morgan is known to be terrible in British showbiz circles, he’s treated loads of people really badly with his hot and cold routine. Gillian Anderson, sadly, I’ve also heard is a nightmare, but it is sad to watch two beautiful women fall out over such a mediocre man.

  18. chimes@midnight says:

    Pickings can be slim in your 40s and 50s when you’ve got teenagers at home AND YOU’RE A WOMAN. Men have no problem finding a gullible moon eyed 20-something who doesn’t know any better.

  19. ennie says:

    Jemima Goldsmith?
    Hugh’s ex? Yeah, it looks that it was hitting above his weight, but things can be messy, as it was said above. She was a close friend of Diana’s and daughter of a VERY Rich influential man with political and aristocratic ties.
    He coined or used the phrase mmmmh, something about when you marry your mistress, you create a job vacancy. Jemima’s family story is colorful to say the least.
    I don’t think she’ll dwell for long on that failed romance.

  20. Watson says:

    I’m laughing at how Jemima is shocked and confused that the man who left his wife for her didn’t end up staying with her. Lol.

    Maybe Gillian was always in an open marriage hence her taking this dude back and being more amused by the situation than anything.

  21. Talia says:

    She was married to Imran Khan, the current Prime Minister of Pakistan when she was 21 and he was 43. Her father apparently commented that he would make an excellent first husband. They marriage lasted 9 years and they had 2 sons.

  22. EllenOlenska says:

    Wasn’t Jemima the friend/excuse Princess Diana used when hanging out with Hasnat Khan? Back when she was married to the cricket guy who became prime minister…

  23. Veronica S. says:

    There’s something about that age with men physiologically that a few studies suggest does create something of a sexual life crisis for some of them, but I have to feel like there are more mature ways to handle that kind of situation. Like…talk it out with your partner? See if you can work it out? I dunno. I feel like we’ve done a lot of harm to ourselves in Western society not emphasizing that communication is just as important in matters of sex as it is anything else you have to work through together.

    • Granger says:

      Agreed. Marriages go through ups and downs. It’s so easy now to just move on, instead of talking about it, when you’re not getting absolutely everything you *think* you need from your partner.

      I truly believe that most men who subscribe to that sexual life crisis cliche of leaving their wife and shacking up with a woman half their age end up regretting it. Just when they were on the brink of freedom because the teens are on their way out the door, they find themselves saddled with a couple of babies and another 18 years of expenses. They watch the ex-wife either move on with an age-appropriate partner who doesn’t have young kids or find happiness alone through travel and hobbies, and realize they made a huge mistake. I know there are some men who don’t regret it, but I think more of them do than we’re aware or they would ever admit to.

  24. Juju says:

    Is Gillian British? I thought she was an American, from Chicago.

  25. lunchcoma says:

    She grew up between both countries. I think she considers herself tied to both of them too.

  26. Natters says:

    It’s official. Jemina has dated every man in London (who has dash).

  27. lunchcoma says:

    The pickings aren’t THAT slim. I’m going to chalk this up to more mundane dynamics. Jemima has previously dated Hugh Grant and Russell Brand. Maybe she has a type!

    As for Gillian, it’s a four year relationship. She wouldn’t be the first woman to give a cheater a second shot. I doubt it will last forever, but she might want to see if it was a bobble in the relationship instead of an indication of who he really is.

    • Jayna says:

      I don’t believe it was some cheating relationship and that he left completely just for a woman. It’s sounds like Jemima was just a casualty. Gillian has often said her busy career takes her away from her kids a lot, which also means she’s pulled in a lot of directions. They both have busy careers. She had no interest for four years to live with him. She has stated that. Maybe after four years he didn’t feel that way. Maybe he wanted more and she set the boundaries.

      People split and do rebound jump offs for all kinds of reasons. I just don’t believe she’s some weak woman who was completely wronged and took him back. There’s obviously strong feelings still there. Maybe this will make them both look at the relationship and work on it and where it goes.

      All I’m saying is we don’t know everything
      I kind of do feel sorry for Jemima.

  28. Jenn says:

    Since bemused is actually defined as “shocked and confused,” I am now imagining that Peter Morgan leaves women stunned, gobsmacked, floored, everywhere he goes, which is a hilarious mental image.

  29. Bread and Circuses says:

    Or…he screwed up, but figured it out fast enough, that she was willing to give him another chance?

    Some people are a bit more flexible about dalliances than others, and these two have been together a while. Maybe she just said, “That’s right you were a fool. Buy me a ruby, and we’ll call it a wash.”

  30. Sunnyvale says:

    We never know what goes on behind closed doors but I hope her friends and kids tell her honestly to prioritise herself and that its fine to be single. No one is amune from feeling self doubt.
    She strikes me as an introvert. Many actors are and having adult children can also make it hard for her to put herself out there. Oh I wished for her and Colin firth to get together when his divorce was announced. They seem like they have the same temperament and he seems like a nice guy

  31. Corick says:

    He’s with her while she’s filming. People are assuming she took him back but, he could just be attempting to get back with her.

    As for his overlap love blossom whom he left withering on the vine, why is she trying for pity? It’s a bad look.

    Gillian has somehow gotten more beautiful as she’s gotten older.