Walton Goggins and Aimee Lou Reed Projecting 'Tension' Amid Feud (EXCL)
The success of The White Lotus has been betrayed by a reported feud between the show’s lead stars, Walton Goggins and Aimee Lou Wood, and a source exclusively tells Life & Style it’s driven a huge wedge between the rest of the cast as they feel compelled to pick sides.
“There is obviously a major rift between Walton and Aimee,” the insider says. “It’s very awkward for everyone because Aimee and Walton won’t say what kicked off their issues, but something happened and he’s completely disengaged from everyone as a result.”
The drama reportedly began while the team was on-location in Thailand during filming and production for season 3 of the award-winning HBO series. Walton, 53, who’s career of late has been red hot coming off an Emmy nomination and his roles in Justified, Vice Principals, and Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight, joined the show with much anticipation from fans, but the source notes he and Aimee, 31, had some sort of a disruptive fallout while on set. They were said to be friendly early on, which makes their apparent feud all the more puzzling.
“Aimee was at the party to celebrate the finale episode. She seemed to be in a great mood, mixing and mingling with everyone,” the insider shares. “People were speculating about whether Walton would show up or not, and when his name came up Aimee looked uncomfortable, but she didn’t say anything.”
Walton ultimately skipped the wrap party, which raised some eyebrows among fellow cast members and the crew, according to the insider, who adds his absence highlighted how far their relationship has deteriorated behind the scenes.
“They were all so close at one time, it was like a summer camp situation,” the insider continues, “but this has fractured that vibe.”
The White Lotus has been one of HBO’s biggest hits of late and a frequent topic of conversation when discussing new directions for series’ to take to remain fresh as television becomes bogged down with an ever-expanding offering of mediocre programming. With each season set in a different locale, the show’s formula mixes social commentary with ensemble drama to great effect. Season 1, set in Hawaii, swept the Emmys the year of its debut in 2021 with 10 wins. Season 2, this time in Sicily, won two Golden Globes and critical acclaim, building huge anticipation for season 3, which creator Mike White previously promised would be “longer, bigger, crazier” than ever before, with new, more philosophical themes woven into its Thai setting.
While both Walton and Aimee have kept their reported feud far from prying eyes and safe from the public, bits and pieces of what’s going on have been apparent. They unfollowed each other on Instagram after the finale earlier in April, but refollowed each other just before attending the Met Gala on May 5.
“No one wants to assume the worst or side against Walton, but this whole situation has definitely brought a dark cloud over things,” the source adds. “There’s a tension when it comes up, which is sad because at one point they all said they’d be friends forever.”