Rose Leslie on Kit Harington’s past addiction struggles: ‘It’s not on me to guard him from it’

Rose Leslie has revealed she has “learnt a lot” about addiction during her marriage to fellow Game of Thrones star Kit Harington.

Harington, 35, entered rehab in May 2019 when the hit HBO show ended, reportedly for “stress and alcohol”. He has previously discussed feeling suicidal at the height of his struggles.

In a new interview, Leslie, 35, has said that she won’t try to “nanny” or “guard” her husband from drinking again, as it is his own responsibility to do so.

“I’ve learnt a lot about addiction and it’s something Kit is forever going to be aware of, but it’s on him whether he chooses to drink again,” she told Harper’s Bazaar.

“No amount of nannying is going to be able to stop him from doing what he decides to do… I don’t choose to put that pressure on myself.

“The responsibility of his behaviour is on him. It’s not on me to guard him from it.”

The actors met while starring together in the HBO fantasy epic. They were married in 2018 at Leslie’s ancestral castle in Aberdeenshire, and have an infant son together.

Leslie will next appear in the Sky Atlantic series The Time Traveler’s Wife, based on the 2003 novel by Audrey Niffenegger.

Harington played Jon Snow in Game of Thrones for eight years. He has since starred in the series Criminal and Modern Love, as well as Chloé Zhao’s film The Eternals. He will next be seen in the show Extrapolations.

If you have been affected by this article, you can contact the following organisations for support: actiononaddiction.org.uk, mind.org.uk, nhs.uk/livewell/mentalhealth, mentalhealth.org.uk.

If you are experiencing feelings of distress and isolation, or are struggling to cope, the Samaritans offers support; you can speak to someone for free over the phone, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.

If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). The Helpline is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.