Imogen Poots breaks silence on James Norton split, saying outsiders don’t see private moments

Imogen Poots has briefly addressed her breakup from James Norton, saying in a Tatler interview that 'it's always so absurd. No one on the outside sees what you share with another person.' The comments mark her first public acknowledgment of the split since Norton said earlier this year that their breakup 'wasn't his choice.'

Norton, known for Happy Valley, said the split occurred abruptly and changed his life direction. He told reporters that he was 'about to have kids, about to get married' and that the relationship 'turned around, completely changed direction.'

In Tatler's November issue, Poots posed in a director's chair and in a close-up shot wearing a pale yellow leather jacket; the story notes she wore a brown bra beneath. Another shot shows a shoulderless black gown with a plunging neckline. An insider told the Daily Mail that Imogen did not want the split to become public.

Asked if she was seeing anyone, she replied, 'Not necessarily.' The actress, who moved into Norton’s London home in 2020, has kept her private life largely out of the public eye. The couple began dating in December 2017 after Norton split from Jessie Buckley; they announced engagement in 2022, but called it off in 2023, and have since pursued separate paths.

The feature around the November issue notes a careful handling of the breakup in line with Poots's wish for privacy. The full Tatler piece is available in the November issue, which can be downloaded digitally and hits newsstands on Thursday, October 2.