How Game of Thrones Star Rose Leslie Coped with Husband Kit Harington's Addiction Struggles

Game of Thrones star Rose Leslie opened up about her husband and former co-star Kit Harington’s addiction struggles. Why she says “It’s on him whether he chooses to drink again.”

By Corinne Heller Apr 28, 2022 11:01 PMTags
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When Game of Thrones star Kit Harington underwent rehab, it was a sobering experience for his wife and co-star Rose Leslie as well.

Kit (Jon Snow) and Rose (Ygritte) played lovers on the show and off-screen and have been married since 2018. But Rose says she ultimately learned she couldn't save her partner from his struggles. The actress made the rare comments in a cover interview for Harper's Bazaar UK's June 2022 issue (on sale from May 4).

"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," said the actress, who stars in the HBO Max series The Time Traveler's Wife. "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 behavior is on him. It's not on me to guard him from it."

In late May 2019, after the finale of Game of ThronesHarington's rep told E! News the actor had "decided to utilize this break in his schedule as an opportunity to spend some time at a wellness retreat to work on some personal issues."

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Last August, Harington said he had been sober for 2.5 years following a stint in rehab. The Eternals actor told The Sunday Times that he had sought help for "mainly alcohol" at a Connecticut retreat.

He added that "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," Harington continued. "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."

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The actor told The Sunday Times that now, life is "wonderful," saying, I have a child and my relationship is brilliant" and "I'm a very, very happy, content, sober man."

In early 2021, Harington and Leslie welcomed their first child, a baby boy, whose name they have not disclosed publicly. In her interview with Harper's Bazaar UK, the actress detailed how her husband stepped up his dad duties as she filmed The Time Traveler's Wife, debuting on HBO Max May 15.

"He wore the Baby Björn [carrier] loud and proud," she said. "And there were many satisfying moments; we had an understanding that, when our son cried in the middle of the night, it was on Kit to go and look after him, as I would have to wake up early to work — it was kind of glorious."

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