LILY James’ friends hit out at “slut shaming” and vile abuse she received in the wake of the Dominic West scandal.
The actress, 31, was photographed kissing married co-star Dominic West, 51, in Rome last October.
Lily has faced a torrent of abuse online after the pictures emerged – with many calling for her to lose out on acting roles.
One friend told the Mail on Sunday: “It’s bullying and, above all, sexist. She sees herself as a victim of blatant slut-shaming.”
Another added: “Imagine getting that sort of abuse on a daily basis. It’s taking a big toll on her.
“This is a straightforward case of double standards – a woman getting the backlash while the man, despite being married, isn’t under anywhere near the same amount of scrutiny.”
Meanwhile, Dominic has insisted his marriage to wife and landscape gardener Catherine, 49, is still going strong despite the kiss in Italy.
The pair were filming a BBC adaptation of The Pursuit Of Love and were seen together throughout Rome.
Lily, whose big screen breakthrough came when she played the role of Cinderella in Disney’s 2015 remake, split from former Doctor Who Matt Smith, 37, last year.
Eton-educated Dominic, married to Catherine for ten years, won rave reviews for his role in US TV series The Affair in which his character cheats on his wife with a younger woman.
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The Sun on Sunday also revealed Lily was at the centre of actor Armie Hammer’s marriage split.
Film crew said Brit Lily and US actor Armie “behaved as if they were a couple”, flirting and laughing.
During filming in France and the UK, sources said Armie was also “open about his marriage being on the rocks”.