In his enthralling new memoir, “I Regret Almost Everything,” renowned restaurateur Keith McNally pulls back the curtain on a clandestine affair with a Hollywood megastar, sparking an intense guessing game among readers. The elusive identity of the actress, referred to only as “X,” seems to be none other than “X-Files” leading lady, Gillian Anderson, according to several intriguing hints peppered throughout the book.
The Surprising Initiation of a Romance
The saga unfolds with McNally recounting a serendipitous connection initiated by Anderson (or “X”), after she read a Vanity Fair piece about him back in 1998. Despite her TV fame, McNally confessed that he was unfamiliar with her at first. What began as phone conversations quickly turned into plans for a New York visit, with Anderson opting for the authenticity of McNally’s Soho apartment over a luxurious hotel stay—a choice that led to an unforgettable evening at the Broadway performance of “Art.”
The Night That Almost Ended It All
Intrigue takes a romantic turn when McNally narrates their first night together, devoid of expected sensuality due to Anderson’s fatigue. This abstinence, McNally reflects, fueled a peculiar allure, leaving him perplexed yet fascinated.
A Public Encounter Disguised
While McNally included clandestine elements in his memoir, like the photo mix-up between the New York Post and the Daily News, the couple’s outing was anything but secretive. As their connection simmered, whispers amplified through the iconic Rush & Molloy column, painting a picture of the illustrious redhead dining with the man behind New York’s elite dining spots such as Balthazar and Minetta Tavern.
Star-Crossed Complications
Yet behind the restaurant’s glamor lay the complexities of McNally’s personal life. The timing of the romance with “X” saw emotional turbulence due to his rekindling ties with Alina Johnson, the woman he would eventually marry in 2002. McNally’s candid admission of washing away one romance only to ring his future wife lends an authentic layer, bringing readers closer to his inner dilemmas.
The Inevitable Goodbye
In a climactic conclusion, McNally recalls the ending of their affair with a frank phone call, leading to Gillian’s angry retort before slamming down the receiver. It’s a narrative moment that reverberates with honesty and a tinge of melancholy, portraying the kind of high-stakes emotional dramas only Hollywood and Manhattan’s dining elite could conjure.
In an already publicized revelation to the Wall Street Journal in 2019, McNally acknowledged Anderson’s presence in his past, a dual layer that adds an element of real-life mystery to his memoir’s poignant retelling.
According to Page Six, this engrossing memoir is now turning heads as it dishes out an unexpected plate of romance, enigmatic narratives, and the tantalizing beauty of a bygone New York era.