‘What Can I Not Handle at This Point’: Ariana Madix on That Affair
It is a lot of pressure because for any public-facing woman or any woman in general who goes through something, there are a lot of expectations around how you’re supposed to handle things. It is a lot of pressure when someone puts you on a pedestal; eventually you’re going to fall off. I’m just trying to remain centered in myself and make sure that I’m just being me and living life, and sometimes that’s going to mean making mistakes and not doing what everybody wants me to do. But it is really incredible to have that support and I feel as though it did come at a cost, a very unexpected cost.
How did it feel to pick up filming again after news of the affair broke?
A lot of times I feel as though with our friend group and with our show, I’m in a position where someone said something or there was an argument, and I wasn’t there to see it, so I struggle to know how I feel about that kind of situation. In this situation, I felt so strongly. I knew exactly how I felt.
What was it like to film the show’s season finale with your ex?
When he sat down on that couch [during filming] and tried to give the sad sack act, I knew he was going to try to sell a bit. I knew he was trying to be that person so that I would be the angry person; I could see what was happening in front of my face, and it was really frustrating. Honestly, when he started yelling at me, I felt a little bit satisfied that he was finally going to be the real him.
Source: The New York Times
