'The Affair' Star Ruth Wilson Says She Wanted to Leave the Show Ahead of Its Final Season

Showtime

Looks like Ruth Wilson isn't exactly sad about saying goodbye to 'The Affair.'

Looks like Ruth Wilson isn't exactly sad about saying goodbye to The Affair.

The 36-year-old actress appeared on CBS This Morning on Thursday, where she was asked about her character on the Showtime hit, Alison Lockhart, recently getting killed. When asked if the death was a murder or a suicide, Wilson commented, "I think it's murder," and then confirmed she won't be back on the show.

"I'm not coming back, because she's dead," Wilson said. 

Co-host Gayle King then asked if she wanted to leave the show, and the actress was blunt in her reply.

"I did want to leave, but I'm not allowed to talk about why," she said. 

When King brought up rumors that she wanted to leave over a pay gap between her and her male co-stars, Wilson replied,  "I've never complained to Showtime about pay parity." 

Still, Wilson said she does look back fondly at fan response to the show, specifically, when it comes to those who can relate to her character losing a child -- Alison's young son, Gabriel, dies in the first season due to secondary drowning. Wilson took home the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Drama Series in 2015 for her performance. 

"It's been absolutely, really moving for me and to see a character like this can connect with people," Wilson said of playing Alison for four seasons. "And for me, what was amazing is people very close to me have lost kids, so it was always really important for me to serve the story of this woman who is defined by grief."

Meanwhile, in a statement to ET, Showtime Networks said that the character of Alison had "run its course."

"Ultimately, the character's story ran its course and it felt like the most powerful creative decision to end her arc at the moment when she had finally achieved self-empowerment," the statement reads. "But the impact of her loss will significantly shape the lives of our three remaining characters, as they head into the final chapter of their own stories. We thank the many fans who embraced the character of Alison and especially thank Ruth for her indelible work over the past four seasons."

Last month, Showtime announced that The Affair was renewed for a fifth and final season. Over the last four seasons, the critically acclaimed hit has explored the aftermath of infidelity and the effect it has on two marriages, as well as the crime that brings them back together. 

“We love the intimacy, the nuance and the emotional honesty of The Affair’s subjective examination of both infidelity and fidelity,” Showtime's President of Programming, Gary Levine, said in a statement at the time. “[Co-creator and showrunner] Sarah Treem has always envisioned this as a five-season series, and we will be fascinated to see where she takes her talented cast and all of us next year in its climactic season.”

For more on The Affair, watch the video below:

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