Oscar favourite Gary Oldman has said he broke down physically after months of hard work filming when his ex-wife accused him of domestic abuse.
The Darkest Hour star should be enjoying his nomination for the Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Winston Churchill in the biopic but last month his ex-wife Donya Fiorentino claimed the actor ‘ruined her life’.
Speaking to the Mirror, Oldman said: ‘I hit a wall two weeks ago and got the flu, and finally collapsed.’
Ms Fiorentino spoke about her four-year marriage to the star for the first time last month after being emboldened by the #MeToo movement.
Gary Oldman, pictured on Friday at the Great British Film Reception, has said he physically broke down when his ex-wife accused him of domestic abuse after months of hard work on the Darkest Hour
Donya Fiorentino, pictured with Oldman in 1997, told the Mail on Sunday last month that the star ‘ruined her life’
She told the Mail on Sunday: ‘He is a great actor. Was he a great husband? No.
‘Our marriage was a giant car crash in which demented things happened. I lost my self-esteem, I was broken.
‘I’ve been empowered by hearing other women speak up. When a woman gets her voice back, she gets her power back.’
In legal documents filed in 2001, Ms Fiorentino said the actor spent thousands on alcohol and prostitutes during drug-fuelled weekends.
Oldman hit back by calling her a ‘fantastist’ who tore apart their marriage because she was addicted to pills and alcohol and an unfit mother.
The judge sided with Oldman and gave him custody of the couple’s young sons.
Despite her fresh claims that he ‘yelled at me constantly, ruined my life and stole my children’, Oldman is filled with optimism for the future.
He said: ‘This is a moment in the sun. There are highs and lows in the career.’
The actor, who was nominated for his role in Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy in 2012, is up against Daniel Day-Lewis in Phantom Thread and Get Out star Daniel Kaluuya for the gong.
He told the Mirror: ‘I’m feeling very good about it. To be recognised for playing Winston is a prize in itself.
‘If they call my name I’ll have a few words and I’ll go home with an Oscar.’
Ms Fiorentino said: ‘Our marriage was a giant car crash in which demented things happened. I lost my self-esteem, I was broken’
Once awards season is over Oldman will be headed out on a belated honeymoon with Gisele Schmidt, his fifth wife who he married in August.
He added: ‘It has been a rollercoaster few months for us, and to have her by my side has been wonderful.
‘After the age of 50, it just got better. I met the love of my life Gisele, my wife, and I have the role of a lifetime.
‘She has been so incredibly supportive during this whole process. Gisele really was a key collaborator in this whole process for me, and vital in me finding Churchill’s voice.’
Oldman should be quietly confident about winning the award as he has already won the Golden Globe, Critics’ Choice Award, SAG, AACTA and AARP for his portrayal.
The actor said he still hasn’t quite grown used to all the attention he receives, and added: ‘This has all taken some getting used to. I’m quite a private person. I’ve never been any good with crowds. It’s all very nice. No complaints.
‘But there’s an energy of people coming at you that you absorb. It’s quite frenetic. The night of the Golden Globes, I must have taken 300 selfies and it felt like I had met 1,000 people. And they’re all lovely and gracious and well-meaning.
‘It’s shocking when you think about it, that that many people wanted to meet me in the first place. One should never take for granted the sound of applause.’
The 59-year-old has been nominated for the Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Winston Churchill (pictured) in the biopic. He said: I’m feeling very good about it. To be recognised for playing Winston is a prize in itself’