There’s nothing that I love more than a showmance between two actors on a popular TV series (it’s possible that the happiest day of my life was when I found out that The O.C.’s Adam Brody and Rachel Bilson, a.k.a. Seth and Summer, dated in real life), but whatever’s been brewing between The White Lotus stars Aimee Lou Wood and Walton Goggins over the past few weeks seems decidedly more complex than a cut-and-dried on-set fling.
Goggins, of course, is married—he wed writer and director Nadia Conners in 2011—and I’m not necessarily implying that anything untoward took place between the actors who played Rick and Chelsea. (I’m just some woman blogging about blenders from a White Lotus x the Four Seasons x American Express pop-up retreat in Westlake Village!) That said, if you want a full breakdown of the “Silver Springs”–scored, Instagram-related perceived drama that has unfolded between Wood and Goggins as of late, read on:
What’s the locus of the drama between Wood and Goggins?
Eagle-eyed Instagram users will note that Wood and Goggins no longer seem to follow each other on the social media platform, despite the fact that Goggins recently posted a 12-slide photo dump almost entirely of himself and Wood on set. His caption read, in part: “Thank you Aimee Lou for being my partner… a journey I will never forget.”(!)
Some have also theorized that Goggins has blocked Wood, as her comments no longer show up under his posts, although it should be noted that his comments are still visible on her posts.
What have Wood and Goggins said about each other in the past?
Despite whatever internet-based turmoil they may or may not be embroiled in, Wood and Goggins still seem to be keeping it positive in the press.
Of Goggins’s decision not to attend the cast’s season-finale watch party, Wood told The Hollywood Reporter on April 7: “I was sad that Walton wasn’t there because it was something that we did together, but also it’s so fucking Rick and Chelsea.” She added, “Like, of course Walton had to watch it alone and of course I had to watch it in the group because there is so much Aimee in Chelsea and so much Walton in Rick.”
Why are we assuming there was drama on the White Lotus season-three set?
Well, Jason Isaacs—the actor who played preppy near-family-murderer Timothy Ratliff on the show’s most recent season—more or less confirmed to Vulture that something happened between some castmates, saying: “It was like a cross between summer camp and Lord of the Flies but in a gilded cage. It wasn’t a holiday. Some people got very close, there were friendships that were made and friendships that were lost… They say in the show, ‘What happens in Thailand stays in Thailand,’ but there’s an off-screen White Lotus as well, with fewer deaths but just as much drama.” Mike White, you need to hire Isaacs to join your one-guy writers room next season because that man just built some suspense.
How is Fleetwood Mac involved?
I’m so glad you asked! In addition to his grid post, Goggins also recently posted several selfies of himself and Wood to his Instagram Stories set to the song “Silver Springs” by Fleetwood Mac, a band that, as comedian John Mulaney once put it, makes music “written by and for people cheating on each other.” Fleetwood Mac was legendary for its own interpersonal band drama, most notably during the years of Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham’s situationship (or whatever they called a situationship in the ’70s), making me wonder whether Goggins chose the song deliberately, as an echo of the situation…or if he’s just a guy in his early 50s who really likes Fleetwood Mac. Impossible to tell!
