'She Was in Tears': The Terrifying April Fools' Prank That Almost Cost Kit Harington His Marriage - Video

Before the pair became one of Hollywood's most beloved couples, the actor pulled an April Fools' prank that quickly spiraled out of control and prompted a warning that he says nearly cost him far more than he expected.

Long before they married, Kit Harington learned there was one practical joke Rose Leslie would never laugh about. During a 2017 appearance on "The Jonathan Ross Show," the actor watched footage of an April Fools' prank he had played on his then-fiancée, admitting it did not unfold the way he had imagined.

Introducing the clip, host Jonathan Ross explained that the incident happened at the couple's home before asking Harington to explain "what you were thinking about and what the intention was and the aftermath afterwards."

Harington confirmed the setting, saying, "This is in the kitchen. This is on April Fools' Day morning." The footage then showed Leslie opening the refrigerator to grab a jug of water before spotting something that immediately sent her screaming and collapsing to the floor in shock.

Only afterward was the audience shown what had frightened her: a realistic replica of Harington's severed head that he had secretly placed inside the refrigerator. Ross remarked that the prank "had taken a little bit of planning," a point Harington readily acknowledged.

However, he admitted he had overlooked one important detail about their different upbringings. "My family does April Fools'; her family doesn't do April Fools'," he explained before revealing just how badly the joke had landed:

"She was in tears, and I was there going, 'April Fools!' It didn't go down well."

As the clip was replayed, Harington pointed out one unexpected detail in Leslie's reaction. "Can I just point out how she saves the Brita filter!" he joked. "She dove across the room to save it."

After seeing the fake head, Ross suggested the actress's response suddenly seemed understandable, prompting the "Game of Thrones" star to agree.

The conversation ended with Ross asking whether Leslie had embraced the spirit of April Fools' by then or if she planned to get even the following year.

Harington's answer suggested that would not be happening. "She pretty much told me if I did it ever again, that would be it," he recalled. "And I think that's marriage included."

How Kit Harington and Rose Leslie's Romance Began

Although the infamous prank became one of the couple's most memorable stories, their relationship had started years earlier on the set of "Game of Thrones." Leslie joined the HBO fantasy drama for its second season in 2011, portraying the fiercely independent wildling Ygritte opposite Harington's Jon Snow.

Years later, during a 2019 interview on "60 Minutes," Harington reflected on meeting the woman who would eventually become his wife. When asked whether he had met Leslie through the series, he replied, "Yeah, I did. I did."

The interviewer then recalled that their first scene together involved Jon Snow attempting to kill Ygritte. "You try and decapitate her," the host said. "Yeah," Harington replied. "I can't do it, and I intentionally miss."

Asked whether that was the first scene they filmed together, the actor confirmed that it was before laughing at the suggestion that it might have been "love at first fight." Rather than describing an instant romance, Harington focused on their professional connection, saying:

"I loved working with Rose, like, separately from our relationship or us being married. I think one of my fondest working relationships was with her."

Their off-screen relationship gradually became public, and in April 2016, the pair made their first official red carpet appearance together at the Olivier Awards in London. The following year, on September 27, 2017, they announced their engagement through a printed notice published in The Times of London.

They married on June 23, 2018, at Kirkton of Rayne Church in Aberdeenshire before celebrating with family and friends at Wardhill, Leslie's family castle. Several of their "Game of Thrones" co-stars attended the wedding, including Sophie Turner and Maisie Williams.

Their family continued to grow in the years that followed. On February 16, 2021, photographs emerged of the couple walking with their newborn son.

Then, during an appearance on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" in February 2023, Harington revealed that they were expecting their second child. A few months later, in July 2023, his representative confirmed to Page Six that the couple had welcomed a daughter.

Years after the refrigerator prank became a viral fan favorite, Kit Harington's story remains one of his most memorable interviews.

While the fake severed head may have nearly ended his April Fools' tradition, his relationship with Leslie ultimately endured, growing from an on-screen partnership into a marriage and family of four.