Hugh Grant was the dashing leading man, and
Elizabeth Hurley was Britain’s glamour girl. But their love faced the ultimate test when
Grant got arrested for improper behaviour in a parked car in an alley. Shockingly, it didn’t contribute to them
going their separate ways. Instead, the couple ended up dating for another
five years after the shameful incident. So why did they break up? Who thinks their intimacy was the problem? And how were they able to stay the closest
through all these years, talking to each other EVERY DAY? We’ve got all the details for you in today’s
video. Grant and Hurley were a power couple before
it was even a thing. He was the bigger star at the start of their
relationship, having been in Four Weddings and a Funeral and Sense and Sensibility. But Hurley — a successful model in her own
right — could hold her own, especially on the red carpet. She created one of fashion’s memorable moments
in 1994 when she wore that black safety-pin Versace dress to the London premiere of Four
Weddings and a Funeral. The
couple met on the set of the Spanish film Rowing with the Wind in 1987 — it was Hurley’s
first major acting role. Grant played Lord Byron in the drama-mystery,
and Hurley played his former lover Claire Clairmont. The co-stars had fiery chemistry both on and
off set, so it didn’t take them long to go out and start dating. They were just adorable together, appearing
on red carpets everywhere. It seemed like the pair lived in a fairy tale
where people find love and live happily ever after. That was 1994, the height of their iconic
romance. Come 1995, and things turned sour. You know the aphorism/Kelly Clarkson chorus
“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”? Well, Hurley and Grant are pretty much the
personification of that sentiment. In the summer of 1995, the actor was in Hollywood
to promote his film, Nine Months. It was pretty standard romantic comedy stuff. Unfortunately, he was booked on every talk
show going forward. Why unfortunately? Well, before he appeared on the shows, he
found himself behind bars and now has a mugshot that will forever haunt him. Liz and Hugh’s romance faced the ultimate
test when the actor was arrested for lewd conduct after picking up a sex worker, Divine
Brown. Although to this day Hurley has never spoken
out, Grant has talked about it in numerous interviews. Even recently, the 60-year-old star appeared
on a podcast and discussed how he ended up arrested with Brown after police found them
in a car parked near Sunset Boulevard in LA. Grant claims that he was disappointed
in his acting in Nine Months and felt he let down his co-stars. He went to see a screening and realized that,
quote, “everyone in it was brilliant, but I was so atrocious that I was not in a good
frame of mind.” The film was about to come out a week or two
after that, and Hugh had a bad feeling about it. The actor was about to launch his first Hollywood
film and the pressure was too high. Hugh was gravely disappointed in himself. He didn’t know what was going on. And one thing led to another… “I was just an idiot. I didn’t try to say, ‘I’ve got this
psychological problem.’ I just said, ‘I did it.’” At the time, Grant reportedly paid Brown $60
for her services. He was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and attend
an AIDS education program. Brown was sentenced to 180 days in prison
for performing the lewd act and breaking her probation. Grant said in a statement at the time, “Last
night, I did something completely insane. I have hurt people I love and embarrassed
people I work with. For both things, I am more sorry than I can
ever possibly say.” Meanwhile, Divine and her “manager” were
selling the story to the British tabloids for big bucks. Even in pre-Twitter and Instagram days, the
tabloids made sure the story of Hugh’s bust was front-page, headline stuff. She later went on to make $1 MILLION from
publicity from the scandal, reports say. Surprisingly, Hurley stood by his side throughout
the scandal. And in 2017, long after they split, she made
light of the situation on the TV series she was starring in at the time, The Royals. The actor played Queen Helena, the fictional
queen of England, set up with a male prostitute named…wait for it… Hugh Grant! Side note: she did not sleep with him, but
the joke delighted viewers. Two weeks after the incident, an unsmiling
Elizabeth appeared with a sheepish-looking Hugh for the premiere of Nine Months. It was clear the fairy tale was over. Later that year, Hurley told Barbara Walters:
“I felt like I’d been shot.” While Hurley stood by her man, the dynamics
of the relationship had changed. When her love life came crashing down, Hurley’s
career started thriving. In 1995, she was named spokesperson for cosmetics
giant Estée Lauder. And her acting career seemed to go from strength
to strength, with appearances in two Austin Powers films and Bedazzled in 2000. Eventually, even this power couple lost the
spark in their relationship and went their separate ways. Why? Well, it depends on who you believe. In 2015 Hugh and Liz appeared separately with
Andy Cohen on Watch What Happens Live. Hugh said that eventually she became like
a sister to him, quote, “the sex bit probably fizzled out, but now she’s my absolute best
friend — the number one person I call in a crisis.” A month later, Elizabeth appeared on the show
and had a different story to tell. She admitted that the sex was great, but Hugh
was rather “annoying” and grumpy in every other aspect of the relationship. “He used to really annoy me, actually. I mean, I love him, but, um, he’s very annoying. My friends used to call him Grumpelstiltskin
” So, her friends compared the actor to a grumpy little man from a German fairytale. That’s... interesting. Oh yes, she said, he could be charming, but
definitely not all the time. Grant and Hurley never married and never had
children together, but they remain the closest of friends. Nearly 34 years since the start of their relationship
and 21 years since the split, the actors are still in contact — every day. “We met on a movie 29 years ago, and he’s
still my best friend today, and I still speak with him every day,” she said back in 2016. “That was the best co-star I’ve ever had,
for sure.” It helps that they are NEIGHBOURS and are
godparents to each other’s children — Grant is the godfather of Hurley’s son, Damian,
and she is godmother to one of his daughters. There’s no way we’re not going to mention
that the cute little boy is now all grown up and hunky hot. He is a makeup model, and we can certainly
see the familial resemblance. So, why have Liz and Hugh remained such close
friends? When speaking of their current relationship,
Grant compares the bond he shares with Hurley to one that a brother and sister might experience. The actor thinks it’s partly because they
went from zero to somewhere together, and they went through terrible years in the beginning
when neither of them had any work, living in a tiny flat. “It was quite bonding.” Hurley referred to Grant as her “go-to person”
for guidance. She still goes to him for advice on scripts. Even though he’s very happily married with
five children, and she’s very happy in her own life, there’s still certain bits they
cross over with very well. The former couple went through so much together. “But I’ve been thinking, one of the most
important things to keep good relations with your exes is to have a lot of respect for
their current life,” Hurley said. Just this last September, Hurley posted a
throwback video of Grant’s iconic dance in the film Love Actually to wish him well
on his 60th birthday (though it was two days late). “A belated (because it took me two days
to work out how to screen record) Happy 60th Birthday to the glorious Hugh Grant – a
magnificent addition to the human race- even though he looks like a monkey. ❤️ you
forever xxxx,” she captioned her post. And back in 2018, it was Hurley who confirmed
the arrival of Grant’s fifth and youngest child, a baby girl. “He had another one last week. He has five. He was over 50 when he spawned them all!” Liz said on WWHL. “He’s an enchanting dad — really, really
sweet.” Though Grant once told The Washington Post,
“I’m pretty selfish and I can’t bear mess and ugliness and those things seem to
come hand in hand with children,” the actor welcomed his fifth child with TV producer
and wife Anna Eberstein . He and Anna also share a son and a daughter. In 2011, Grant welcomed his first child with
his former girlfriend, Tinglan Hong . What’s striking is that between the birth of his
first and second children with Eberstein, he reunited with Hong and welcomed his son
Felix in 2013. Oh, wow! What a life. Through this decades-long friendship, both
were in and out of relationships. Hurley dated businessman Steve Bing on and
off in the early 2000s. They split for good after 18 months, only
to discover weeks later Hurley she was pregnant with Damian, who she welcomed as a single
parent in 2002. Bing initially denied the claims, but a paternity
test later confirmed he was the father. The businessman sadly passed away in June
2020 after reportedly taking his own life. Their teenage son leaned on fans’ “love
and support” in the days after his father’s death. The young model posted a message of gratitude
on Instagram. “I’d like to thank you all again for your
overwhelming kindness over the past few days,” he wrote. “Your love and support have helped me greatly
during this challenging time.” Elizabeth wrote a tribute earlier in the week,
sharing a series of photos of them together during their 18-month relationship. “I am saddened beyond belief that my ex,
Steve, is no longer with us. It is a terrible end. Our time together was very happy, and I’m
posting these pictures because although we went through some tough times, it’s the
good, wonderful memories of a sweet, kind man that matter.” In the past year, they had become close again. They last spoke on their son’s 18th birthday. It’s good that she has a close friend to
lean on in times like these. Another proof that open communication will
get you far. How do you guys feel about this English power
couple’s relationship? Drop your thoughts in the comments below. As always, thanks for choosing Rumour Juice. Spread the word, and don’t forget to subscribe
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