Bill Nighy Reveals Secret Marriage Amid Romance Rumors

Actor Bill Nighy, 76, has revealed he was secretly married at some point in his past, a disclosure that comes after years of publicly stating he had never tied the knot. This revelation emerges amidst ongoing speculation about his relationship with Vogue editor Anna Wintour, with whom he has been romantically linked since 2015.

Nighy shared his marital history on his podcast, "Ill-Advised," on Thursday. He recalled a period "when I was married" and explained that he wore a wedding ring which he subsequently lost in the sea. The actor did not disclose the identity of his wife, the timing of the marriage, or its duration.

"I can't wear rings because I've got funny hands," Nighy said, referencing his knuckles. "I was called Nux Nighy at school because I had knobbly knuckles." He elaborated on losing the ring: "When I was married, I had a wedding ring, and I went into the sea and it came off. I had to wear such a big ring to get it over my knuckle that it came off in the sea. I lost the ring."

Previously, Nighy had been consistent in stating his unmarried status. In a 2015 interview, he said, "I've never been married" and explained that marriage had not appealed to him in his younger years, citing a lack of appeal in registry offices and potential tax implications. He also suggested that "nobody would have married me anyway."

Nighy's longest known relationship was with actress Diana Quick, 79. They met in 1982 and had a daughter, Mary Nighy, 42, who is also an actress and filmmaker. The couple separated in 2008 after 27 years together but were not publicly known to have been married. Nighy had previously joked about their status, stating in 2006, "We're not legally sanctioned. We live in what my grandmother would call sin, but I don't care, and neither does she."

Before his relationship with Quick, Nighy was involved with Welsh actress Beth Morris.

Rumors linking Nighy and Anna Wintour intensified after they were seen together multiple times and made a notable public appearance arm-in-arm at the Met Gala in New York in 2023. However, Nighy's representative issued a statement at the time, denying a romantic involvement and stating, "Bill and Anna have simply been great friends for two decades. They are not in a relationship."