Ruth Wilson on Her Affair Exit: 'There Is a Much Bigger Story'

Ruth Wilson is dispelling theories about her exit from The Affair — and increasing speculation about her decision to leave.

“It isn’t about pay parity, and it wasn’t about other jobs,” Wilson, 36, told The New York Times in a profile published Wednesday. “But I’m not really allowed to talk about it.”

While Wilson couldn’t elaborate, she did reveal that there is a larger behind-the-scenes narrative that led to her departure.

“There is a much bigger story,” she added.

Earlier this month, Wilson confirmed on CBS This Morning that her character, Alison Lockhart, was killed off.

“I’m not coming back, so she’s dead,” Wilson said.

When asked by co-host Gayle King if it was true that Wilson wanted to leave the show, the actress said, “I did want to leave but I’m not allowed to talk about why.”

A rep for the actress did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

Though she did not go into further detail, Wilson did address rumors her departure was brought on by a disagreement over her show earnings.

“I’ve never complained to Showtime about pay parity,” she explained.

The show’s creator, Sarah Treem, told The Hollywood Reporter this month, “Ruth wanted to leave the show.”

“That was a request, so that was decided basically before we started writing,” Treem said. “It wasn’t a discovery of any kind. That was very deliberate. And actually, we shot all of her work first. Her whole storyline was shot before we shot anything else.”

In a statement to Entertainment Weekly, Showtime responded to Wilson’s comments saying, “We can’t speak for Ruth, but heading into season 4 everyone agreed the character’s story had run its course.”

“Ultimately, it felt like the most powerful creative decision would be to end Alison’s arc at the moment when she had finally achieved self-empowerment,” the statement continued. “The impact of her loss will be felt as the series concludes next season.”

“We thank the many fans who embraced the character of Alison and especially thank Ruth for her indelible work over the past four seasons.”

In her interview with The Times, Wilson reportedly encouraged the outlet to get in touch with Treem, who responded with a previous statement from Showtime.

“The character of Allison had run its course,” Treem reportedly wrote. “By completing her arc this season, the consequences of her death will lead to compelling story lines for our final season.”

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