That was quick! Gillian ‘bemused’ by speed of ex’s new romance with Jemima
IT IS a tangled romance featuring a high-profile socialite and an acclaimed writer – just the kind of intrigue that might interest fans of the hit TV series The Crown.
But this plot development involves the show’s writer, Peter Morgan.
Just weeks after announcing his split from actress Gillian Anderson, Mr Morgan has apparently moved on to his next love – film producer Jemima Khan.
Friends say the couple have been ‘seeing one another happily since the New Year’ and are already living together. Yet as they enjoy their first blush of love, Ms Anderson – who has gained plaudits for her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher in the fourth series of The Crown – is said to be ‘upset’ at the way her former partner has moved on so quickly.
She is said to be ‘bemused’ at the new relationship, with friends saying that ‘she has certainly raised an eyebrow or two’ at news of the romance.
It has emerged that Ms Khan and 57-year-old Mr Morgan are old friends – with one friend of Ms Anderson even suggesting that Ms Khan, 46, ‘had been trying to make it happen for quite some time’.
Last night, a source close to Ms Khan and Mr Morgan, who is currently writing the fifth series of the blockbuster Netflix drama, said: ‘They have been seeing each other happily since the New Year.
‘They are old friends and are now in what they call a legit support bubble.’
It emerged last month that Mr Morgan and twice-married Ms Anderson, who were considered one of the most powerful couples in showbusiness, had decided to split amicably after four years together.
They never tied the knot or even moved in together – which is only likely to have added to the shock at news that Mr Morgan is living with Ms Khan, the former wife of Pakistan’s prime minister Imran Khan, after just two weeks.
A source said: ‘There was a bit of a process before Gillian and Peter split but nevertheless, this has all happened very quickly and has been quite a surprise.
‘The impression is that Jemima has been trying to make it happen for quite some time. She has been into Peter for a long time.
‘But a couple of weeks before getting together is not a long time, especially after four years together. Hence the bemusement on Gillian’s part.’
Former X-Files actress Ms Anderson, 52, was first linked to Oscar- nominated Mr Morgan when they attended a launch party for The Crown together.
But the couple, who each have children from previous relationships, put their split down to busy ‘ working schedules and family logistics’ despite working together on the Netflix series.
Ms Khan has two sons – Suleiman, 24, and 21-year-old Kasim – from her marriage to former cricketer Khan. The couple married in 1995 but divorced nine years later.
Since then, the daughter of the late tycoon James Goldsmith and socialite Lady Annabel Goldsmith has dated several high-profile men. She was associate editor of political magazine The New Statesman and was European editor-at-large for the US magazine Vanity Fair and now runs a film production company. Father- of- five Mr Morgan was nominated for an Academy Award for his script for the 2006 film The Queen, starring Helen Mirren. His other screenwriting credits include the movies Frost/Nixon and The Damned United, as well as the acclaimed stage play The Audience.
‘They’re now in what they call a legit support bubble’