Born on 9 September 1960, Hugh Grant is known for his roles in hit films such as Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill and Bridget Jones’s Diary. However, while most actors long for the attention that only a hit movie can bring, Hugh’s role in a real-life arrest gave him the kind of notice that almost every actor dreads: the Hollywood scandal.
Hugh Grant and Elizabeth Hurley were the UK’s golden couple, frequently photographed together at film premieres and red-carpet events. During the 1994 premiere of Four Weddings and a Funeral, Hurley wowed everyone by wearing a Versace gown held together only by safety pins. She had been lent the dress by the fashion house, and it turned out to be a highly lucrative loan, with her appearance in the gown raising her profile and leading to modelling jobs and a contract with Estée Lauder.
After that it became a trend that at every premiere they attended, Hurley would be dressed ever more elaborate gowns; fans waited impatiently to see what she would wear next, and she never disappointed. The couple could do no wrong, and their stars continued to rise when they created their own film company, Simian Films, which the actors intended to use to develop film projects.
However, the couple’s relationship changed forever in June 1995 when Hugh Grant travelled to Los Angeles to publicize his first major studio film, Nine Months, co-starring Julianne Moore. Hurley did not travel with him; instead, she stayed behind in London to work on her own projects and await his return.
On the evening of 27 June, a bored Grant decided to leave his Los Angeles hotel and drive his BMW down Sunset Boulevard. Eventually he arrived at the red-light district, where he encountered a lady of the night by the name of Divine Brown. At first she avoided him, thinking he might be a policeman, but eventually he stopped the car and proceeded to introduce himself as “Lewis”. Brown later said that she thought he sounded like Prince Charles, but had no idea that the baseball-cap-wearing man was the British actor Hugh Grant. To her he was just another job, and to that end they retired to a quiet side street, where after some small talk, they proceeded to get to know each other a little better.
However, it wasn’t long before two policemen were drawn to the car because the brake lights kept turning off and on, apparently as a result of Grant’s foot tapping on the car’s peddal. The policemen were said to be slightly amused but decided to put an end to the events unfolding inside by knocking on the window and shining a light inside the vehicle. Understandably the couple’s shenanigans were interrupted and before they opened the door to the officers outside, Brown quickly told Grant to tell them no money was exchanged. The couple then greeted the officers who took both of them into custody.
Hugh was arrested for the misdemeanour of lewd conduct in a public place, pleaded no contest and was fined $1,180. He was also placed on two years’ summary probation and had to undertake an AIDS awareness programme. Brown was released and it was only after she got home and saw the mug shots of both herself and Grant on the news that she realized exactly who she had encountered that night; she was quite surprised, to say the least.
Within hours the news of Hugh’s arrest and accompanying photographs were making headlines around the world, much to the entertainment of just about everyone. Reporters flocked not only to catch a glimpse of Grant himself, but also his girlfriend Elizabeth Hurley, who was so besieged that she had to hide in her house with the curtains drawn and the doors firmly locked. For days photographers camped outside, while she stayed inside, furious about the drama created by her boyfriend on the other side of the world.
Unfortunately for Grant, while he may have wanted to rush back home to flee the spotlight, instead he had to go ahead with his promotional tour for Nine Months. However, he managed to get through it with his humour intact. He decided not to ignore the questions that came his way and, instead of skirting around the issue, he actually made no bones about his arrest when interviewed by Jay Leno. “I did a bad thing,” he said. “And there you have it.”
Meanwhile, the media could not believe their luck at the scandal erupting around them, and neither could Divine Brown. The News of the World bought her a gown similar to the one Elizabeth Hurley had worn to the Four Weddings premiere, dressed her in it and splashed her all over the front pages of the UK newspaper. She was invited on to chat shows such as Jerry Springer, appeared on Judge Judy and gave newspaper interviews around the world, gaining quite a following in the process.
The scandal not only brought her attention, but ultimately made her a millionaire; her children went through private school; she bought her own house and shopped for jewels and clothes on Rodeo Drive. She started her own record company; gave up prostitution for good; and moved to Atlanta for a quieter life. Even today, nearly twenty years later, Brown still appears in documentaries and on television, talking about the night her life changed forever.
But what of Hugh Grant? He eventually returned home to his girlfriend, and although we can only guess at what was said, the chances are that it was nothing of a positive nature. The relationship floundered and a grim-faced Hurley was photographed at the Los Angeles premiere of Nine Months in a subdued white dress, no smile to be seen. The couple were golden no more, and although their relationship continued for another five years, they eventually called it quits in 2000.
Quite surprisingly, however, Hugh Grant and Elizabeth Hurley have since put aside their differences and have remained good friends. They have amazed everyone by being godparents to each other’s children and have frequently enjoyed family holidays together. Hugh’s career was not tainted by the experience and, in fact, initially went from strength to strength; he became a huge star in the States, and appeared in movies such as Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001) and its sequel, as well as Two Weeks Notice (2002) with Sandra Bullock.
One person who believes that the incident did Grant a favour is former prostitute Divine Brown. Speaking to the Daily Mail in 2010, she said that she believed Grant was not very famous in the States at the time of his arrest. “It was me that helped his career,” she said. “I know he helped me upgrade my future and my family, but I upgraded his, too.”