Sam Claflin reflects on his ‘raw’ split from Laura Haddock: ‘I really struggled’

Sam Claflin has spoken candidly about the impact splitting from wife Laura Haddock had on his mental health as the UK plunged into lockdown.

The couple separated in 2019 after six years of marriage and eight years together, vowing to co-parent their kids; Pip, six, and four-year-old Margot.

Reflecting on the difficult period of his life, the Peaky Blinders star confessed that he struggled to cope with caring for their young children.

He told British GQ: “It’s a horrendous thing to go through. Every break-up is difficult, and obviously having kids makes it even more. During Covid I really f***ing struggled with the kids and, mentally, where my life was.”

However, the British star used his personal pain for his art and explained how said he tapped into the heartbreak to portray his character, a singer struggling with marital strife, in his latest project Daisy Jones & The Six.

Claflin admitted it was this turmoil away from the cameras that allowed him to cry easily for the first time on screen and be completely vulnerable.

He shared: “These emotions are still quite raw for me. I can just take from that and put myself in this situation because I lived through it.”

The Me Before You actor also discussed how he’s attending therapy to help him overcome his issues with self-confidence, after believing that he was only cast in the Prime Video series because they’d seen everyone else and “just had to make do”.

The 36-year-old continued: “One of the reasons I became an actor is that I always want people to like me. I think it’s only recently dawned on me that I try so hard to make other people happy that I don’t know who I am.”

Claflin and Guardians of the Galaxy star Laura, 37, announced their split in a joint Instagram post in August 2019.

At the time, the actor wrote: “Laura and I have decided to legally separate. We will move forward with nothing but love, friendship and a deep respect for one another whilst we continue to raise our family together.

“We won’t be commenting on this further. Thank you in advance for your support and respecting our privacy at this time. Both of us x”.

The Hunger Games star is now dating Leonardo DiCaprio’s ex Cassie Amato, 28, while Haddock is in a relationship with her White Lines co-star Tom Rhys Harries, 30.

Read the full feature online at GQ Hype now