Game of Thrones stars Rose Leslie and Kit Harington tied the knot in 2018 after playing onscreen lovers Ygritte and Jon Snow in the HBO fantasy drama, and the couple welcomed their first child in 2021.
While the show propelled the actors to global stardom, Kit has been open about his struggles with addiction behind the scenes and once the GOT finale aired his rep told E! News that he had ‘decided to utilise this break in his schedule as an opportunity to spend some time at a wellness retreat to work on some personal issues.’
Last summer, Kit spoke to The Sunday Times about seeking help for ‘mainly alcohol’ and said he had been sober for over two years following some time in rehab.
He said: ‘Things that have happened to me since Thrones ended, and that were happening during Thrones, were of a pretty traumatic nature and they did include alcohol.
‘You can imagine the stresses that it causes to those around you. I will say about my addictions that I kept them very, very quiet and I was incredibly secretive and incredibly locked up with them. So they came as quite a surprise to the people around me.’
Now, Rose has spoken about supporting her husband through his recovery journey in an interview with Harpers Bazaar.
She told the publication: ‘For Kit, being an addict, it’s very important for him to recognise himself as such.
‘The AA [Alcoholics Anonymous] community has provided such a loving space for him to feel heard, to make sure he’s not alone. But if it weren’t for rehab, he would be i a very different headspace right now.’
The Death on the Nile star continued: ‘I’ve learnt a lot about addiction and it’s something Kit is forever going to be aware of, but it’s on him whether he chooses to drink again. No amount of nannying is going to be able to stop him from doing what he decides to do.
‘I don’t choose to put that pressure on myself. The responsibility of his behaviour is on him. It’s not on me to guard him from it.’
Since spending time in rehab, Kit says life is now ‘wonderful’, saying: ‘I have a child and my relationship is brilliant. I’m a very, very happy, content sober man.’
For support and advice on issues raised in this article, visit alcoholchange.org.uk