Family affair leads to Redgrave divorce

Actress Lynn Redgrave confirmed yesterday she is divorcing her husband of 32 years amid claims that he fathered a child with …

Actress Lynn Redgrave confirmed yesterday she is divorcing her husband of 32 years amid claims that he fathered a child with their future daughter-in-law.

Redgrave's UK publicist, Ms Emma Chapman, said the Oscar-nominated star had told her that she filed for divorce on Tuesday.

She said Redgrave was making no further comment regarding reports that the split was prompted by her 66-year-old husband Mr John Clark's admission of an affair with their son's future wife.

According to the US newspaper, the National Enquirer, Mr Clark - who is also his wife's manager - has admitted fathering a son, Zachary, with his personal assistant, named only as Nicolette, during an affair in 1990.

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The theatrical manager decided not to say anything to his wife when the affair ended shortly afterwards and Nicolette fell for - and married - Mr Clark's and Redgrave's son, Ben, the paper reports.

Mr Clark said: "I was afraid it would break her heart. Lynn, who didn't know the boy was my son, grew to love Zachy. We really were one big happy family - of sorts."

But after the recent failure of Nicolette's and Ben's marriage, Mr Clark is reported to have finally told his wife the truth. Mr Clark said he was astonished when the divorce papers arrived: "I had no inkling she would do that. I thought we would work things out."

Redgrave (55), who added her husband's name to her own to become Redgrave-Clark last year, will learn later this month whether she has won an Oscar for Gods and Monsters.

She and Mr Clark also have two daughters, aged 17 and 29.