Claire Danes was a guest on Howard Stern’s radio show on Monday, and the topic of an old love interest came up. Stern asked the Homeland star about her relationship several years back with Billy Crudup.
Crudup and actress Mary-Louise Parker had been together for about eight years and she was pregnant–about seven months along–back in 2003, with their first child. Claire Danes and Billy Crudup met on the set of the film Stage Beauty, and Crudup left Parker for her shortly thereafter.
Claire Danes reflects on her real-life love triangle with Billy Crudup and Mary-Louise Parker http://t.co/Xs0eU4Swpf
— VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) October 5, 2015
“I was just in love with him,” Claire Danes recalled. “And needed to explore that and I was 24…I didn’t quite know what those consequences would be.”
Danes acknowledged how difficult the public backlash over her part in the split was.
“That was a scary thing,” she said. “That was really hard. I didn’t know how to not do that.”
Claire Danes’ role in the break-up of Billy Crudup and Mary-Louise Parker will likely be covered in Parker’s upcoming book, Dear Mr. You, which is due out on November 1st.
Now on the @HowardStern Show: Claire Danes! @SHO_Homeland #Homeland #Howard (Pic by @mistermorris55) pic.twitter.com/e3dQBIBn0h
— Stern Show (@sternshow) October 5, 2015
Finally at peace with the entire ordeal, Claire Danes says she and Crudup are friends. The romance only lasted for about three years.
“We’re friendly–we’re friends,” she says of her ex.
Claire Danes married former Hannibal star Hugh Dancy in 2009. The couple has a three-year-old son named Cyrus.
Did you know Claire Danes was once involved in this sordid breakup? How awful for Mary-Louise Parker to have been ditched for another woman while she was seven months pregnant.