'28 Years Later' Star, Ralph Fiennes' Divorce, Affair And Cheating Scandal, Left Wife For Co-star

28 Years Later was released on June 20, 2025, and has been hailed as one of the best sequels to a horror movie. The film, which followed the story of the 2002 horror hit, 28 Days Later, has landed on Netflix. With more people getting to experience this spine-chilling thriller, many fans have been curious about the professional and personal lives of the starcast. 

Ralph Fiennes, a.k.a 'Dr Ian Kelson', who has achieved the status of an icon through his portrayal of some of the most popular villains, such as 'Voldemort' and 'Amon Goeth', has had a particularly complicated personal life. Here's a look at Ralph Fiennes' divorce and scandals. 

28 Years Later actor, Ralph Fiennes' marriage and divorce from Alex Kingston

Ralph Fiennes and Alex Kingston met each other way before they embarked on their film journey. The two met at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 1983 and dated for ten years. Both of them then got married after being in a decade-long relationship. However, soon after their marriage, Ralph cheated on the actress. He left Alex for his much older co-star, Francesca Annis from Hamlet. Once Alex shared that they had issues even before they got married, and said:

“We were like strangers – very fragile. His mother was dying and somehow we thought the wedding was going to heal everything. But that was crazy, of course.”

Ralph Fiennes divorced his wife, Alex Kingston and reportedly confessed to her about being in love with someone else. The actress opened up about her painful divorce in an interview with Daily Mail. She stated:

“I was feeling worthless, that I would never find anyone else as good as my husband, which is ridiculous, but I had so little self-esteem. Divorce is awful but it is also something I don’t regret happening to me because it has shaped who I am now.”

Ralph Fiennes' relationship with 18 year older, Francesca Annis

Ralph Fiennes and Francesca Annis met on the sets of Hamlet, where he was playing the titular character while the actress portrayed the role of his mother. Both co-stars began a relationship despite being married. Ralph, who was 32 at the time, divorced his wife, Alex, to be with Francesca. Meanwhile, Francesca had been in a relationship with photographer Patrick Wiseman for nearly 23 years. They also shared three children. The 50-year-old actress also left her long-time partner for Ralph. 

With an 18-year age gap, Ralph and Francesca's relationship had hogged the limelight quite a bit. After being together for ten years, the actress had addressed their age gap and shared:

“Of course I don’t spend days agonising over the age difference. How can I? There is nothing I can do about it. Ralph and I have been together ten years now so, whatever happens, we have had a very good, different relationship and an interesting time.”

Ralph Fiennes' cheating scandal with Romanian singer, Corneila Crisan 

Ralph Fiennes and Francesca Annis had been going strong since divorcing their partners and officially dating in 1997. However, their nearly ten years of relationship ended after Ralph found himself embroiled in a cheating scandal. In 2006, Romanian singer, Conreila Crisan alleged that she had been in a relationship with Ralph for the past two years. Just a day later, Francesca's representative gave an official statement confirming their separation. A source close to the former couple talked to The Evening Standard and said:

“It has been a difficult time for the both of them, particularly as they have not even seen each other since the revelations broke. Seeing all their private details laid out in the newspapers has made them both think about their future. Things have not been good for quite a while. Francesca seems to have been different since she reached 60 and they both realised how big the age gap is between them.”

Corneila made many claims regarding their affair. The singer stated that she had met Ralph at a party at the Dorchester Hotel. Apart from exposing his alleged cheating, Corneila also made shocking accusations against Ralph's nature. She said to The Mail:

“He was a cheat. He used me to be there always for him, whether he needed someone to talk to or wanted a cuddle or to make love. As time went on I started to see more clearly, to realise that I didn’t want him at all. Playing hot and cold with a woman gave something to his ego. Knowing that there was someone maybe crying for him, maybe suffering, made him feel better about himself.”

What are your thoughts on Ralph Fiennes' complicated love life? Let us know. 

Also Read: Jayne Kennedy, Leon Isaac's Love Story, Their 10-Year Marriage And The Reasons Behind Their Divorce

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