Emma Thompson was ‘utterly, utterly blind’ to ex-husband Kenneth Branagh’s affairs

Emma Thompson (left) and Kenneth Branagh (right) split in 1995, ending six years of marriage after he had an affair with Helena Bonham Carter. Photos: Handout

Nearly 30 years after the breakup of her first marriage and almost 20 years into her second, actor-writer Emma Thompson admits she suffered from passing blindness many years back.

“I was utterly, utterly blind to the fact that he had relationships with other women on set,” she tells the New Yorker, speaking about actor-director Kenneth Branagh, her first spouse. “What I learned was how easy it is to be blinded by your own desire to deceive yourself.”