More than 30 years after the release of The Silence of the Lambs (Jonathan Demme, 1991), viewers still shudder at the thought of psychopath Hannibal Lecter. It’s no wonder, given the sublime performance by Anthony Hopkins, who won his first Oscar for the film in 1992. However, this terrifying role also caused him some problems in his personal life.

Businesswoman, writer and television personality Martha Stewart visited The Ellen DeGeneres Show this week, where she told the real reason behind her breakup with Hopkins decades ago. “I dated Sir Anthony Hopkins but broke up with him because I couldn’t stop thinking of him as Hannibal Lecter.”

Known for her great friendship with rapper Snoop Dogg, with whom she even ventured into the CBD business, Stewart told all the details about her fear created by the character.

“I have a big, scary house in Maine that’s way by itself on 100 acres in a forest, and I couldn’t even imagine taking Anthony Hopkins there,” the New Jersey native points out. “All I could think of was him eating.”

Although Stewart did not reveal information about her relationship with the actor, she had already talked about it on some occasion in the past. “Do you want someone eating your brain while you are sitting in your beautiful dining room in Maine? I would have probably had a very nice relationship with Anthony Hopkins, but I couldn’t get past the Lecter thing,” IMDb collected in 2006.

Hopkins has proved to be one of the best actors on the international scene with up to six Oscar nominations. He earned his last statuette in 2021 for his portrayal of Alzheimer’s in The Father. Despite everything, his career has rarely limited him off camera. The actor has been in a relationship with his wife, actress and producer Stella Arroyave, since 2003. Love always ends up winning.