real life

Claire Danes: Billy Crudup leaving his 7-month pregnant partner for her was "scary" and "really hard".

A messy situation for all involved.

You know when you’re in your early 20s, and everything’s all me, me, me?

Well, perhaps that can account for Claire Danes‘s recollections of the beginnings of her relationship with actor Billy Crudup.

Back in 2003, Crudup, now 47, had been in a relationship with Weeds actress Mary-Louise Parker for eight years and she was seven months pregnant with their child when he abruptly left her for Danes, now 36.

Crudup (left) and Danes (right) at a premiere of their film Stage Beauty.

They’d met on the set of Stage Beauty and fallen in love. Danes told Howard Stern on his radio show that the criticism the pair received was “scary” and “really hard”.

We imagine being dumped two months before you’re due to give birth would be even scarier.

Mary Louise Parker and Billy Crudup.

“But it’s okay, I went through it,” Danes assured Stern. Phew!

She continued, “I was just in love with him and needed to explore that and I was 24… I didn’t quite know what those consequences would be.”

Crudup and Danes broke up in 2006 and she’s now married to actor Hugh Dancy. They have a son, Cyrus, born in 2012.

Claire Danes with her husband Hugh Dancy.

Parker, 51, hasn’t spoken about the situation that left her single and heavily pregnant — but she’s planning to.

The actress has penned a memoir about the men who have featured in her life called Dear Mr You. It will take the form of letters to the men in question. We imagine she probably has a few things to say to Crudup.

Click through for more pics of Claire Danes.