Lily James has had a big year. Not only is she currently appearing in Netflix’s Rebecca, now streaming, she also filmed a project during Covid (The Pursuit of Love) and was seen out and about with two other major Hollywood names: Chris Evans and Dominic West. Recently, the actress was actually asked about the reported outing with the MCU star, which happened earlier this summer, and whether or not it constituted a fling, to which she had a coy reply.
In a new interview following the release of Netflix’s Rebecca, Lily James was asked about what she’d done over the summer. She told The Guardian she spent much of her time relaxing in London and doing homebody activities, such as reading poetry out loud. When asked specifically about Chris Evans, she demurred, noting,
No comment. I couldn’t confess to breaking laws, you know.
It should be noted that paparazzi seemingly caught Lily James and Chris Evans out and about in London doing various activities over the summer. The two actors allegedly saw one another during a night on the town and again for a picnic in a park, though things seem to have fizzled -- or at least dropped off the paparazzi's radar -- after that. As for the "breaking laws" comment, the U.K. has complex rules related to bubbles and the people whom you should and should not be seeing right now.
It just so happens that’s also a pretty easy excuse to not answer when a journalist point blank asks you about a possible summer fling. In fact though, at the time Lily James and Chris Evans were reportedly spending some time together in the U.K., there was some question regarding whether or not they were in each others’ bubbles or if there was some bubble rule-bending going on. For his part, Chris Evans had reportedly quarantined before his jaunt across the pond, but after he got to London there are lots of question marks regarding what happened and didn't.
Lily James allegedly broke up with her longtime partner Matt Smith – of Doctor Who fame – over the summer, though she’s also remaining coy about whether or not that break-up is official too. For now, we’ll just have to assume rather than state. Meanwhile, she allegedly spent the time with Chris Evans before filming The Pursuit of Love.
Then, it was during the BBC and Amazon project that she worked with Dominic West, who plays her character’s uncle and father figure in the TV series. After filming on the upcoming show wrapped, Lily James allegedly boarded a plane for a weekend jaunt with the married actor, whom she told the Guardian she’s known for over a decade. The two were allegedly caught canoodling, though she didn’t touch on that during this interview.
Meanwhile, Lily James’ plate is still rather full. While she admitted earlier this month she’s wrapped work on The Pursuit of Love, she also has plenty of ongoing press for Rebecca, a movie in which she stars opposite Armie Hammer, right now. She’s also completed work on The Dig with Carey Mulligan and Ralph Fiennes, which is expected out in 2021 and she also has a few more projects expected to start filming soon. In the meantime, if she’s tied to another actor, we’ll be sure to keep you posted. Maybe next time around she won’t be quite so reticent to touch on the matter.
