Claire Danes on Backlash After Billy Crudup Left Mary-Louise Parker for Her: 'That Was a Scary Thing'

"I just was in love with him and needed to explore that," Danes said of starting the relationship in 2003

By People Staff
Published on October 5, 2015 08:00PM EDT
Claire Danes and Billy Crudup in 2006. Inset: Mary-Louise Parker
Photo: Peter Kramer/Getty; Brian Ach/Getty

Star Claire Danes is opening up about her relationship with Billy Crudup, who famously left his six-months-pregnant girlfriend Mary-Louise Parker for her in 2003.

On his SiriusXM show Monday, Howard Stern asked Danes about the public backlash against her romance with her Stage Beauty costar, who had been with Parker for eight years.

“That was a scary thing. It was really hard,” the Homeland star told Stern of the publicly scrutiny.

Pressed for more details of the decision to peruse a relationship with Crudup, Danes, 36 said she loved the Almost Famous actor.

“I just was in love with him and needed to explore that and was 24. Didn’t quite know what those consequences might be,” said Danes. “It’s okay. I went through it.”

She has rarely spoken publicly about her relationship with Crudup, 46, which ended in 2006.

“That was a choice I made to fall in love,” Danes told Blackbook in 2009. “It’s unpleasant to be cast in such an unflattering role, but I just had to remain steadfast.”