Elizabeth Hurley: 'I never knew Hugh Grant was such a good actor'

lovely bones · June 4th, 2006, 11:53 AM

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By RICHARD PRICE, Daily Mail

Her secret liaisons with Hugh have driven his relationship with Jemima to the brink. And when she saw a picture of them cosying up together this week trying to prove to the world they were content, Liz Hurley’s verdict was merciless...

You could hardly blame her for being upset. Who would not be put out to discover their partner of two years had been spotted secretly entertaining his ex while supposedly 'working' thousands of miles from home?

The Mail can reveal that when Jemima Khan found out Hugh Grant had enjoyed a clandestine meeting with Elizabeth Hurley in New York recently, she was devastated. Not only that: when she questioned him about the matter, he committed the cardinal error of denying everything.

Cue ‘the mother of all arguments’, as one friend so aptly puts it. Is it any wonder that the couple have been at daggers drawn for months, their relationship stretched to breaking point? Never mind the explanations that have been doing the rounds in recent weeks — that relations were strained by Hugh’s enforced absence filming in the U.S., that Jemima had tired of Hugh’s failure to commit (though there is an element of truth in both) — the reality is far more intriguing.

In fact, the Mail can reveal that the single event that sent Hugh and Jemima’s relationship on a path to disaster was that liaison in Manhattan just over two months ago. The incident provides a fascinating insight into a troubled love affair that friends say is ‘doomed’ — regardless of the photographs this week of the couple canoodling in Venice.

A source close to the 45-year-old star says: "Hugh was away filming in New York and had a luxury trailer on the set, parked on the corner of West 18th Street and Park Avenue. At the time Jemima was feeling lonely in London, and was living for her daily phone calls from Hugh. She was feeling ultra-sensitive, so it didn’t go down very well when word got back to her that Liz Hurley had been spotted going into Hugh’s trailer.

"Word filtered back through a friend of a friend and Hugh, who didn’t realise Jemima knew about it, was understandably reluctant to admit that he’d been seeing his ex-girlfriend. If he’d been up front about it, there probably wouldn’t have been a problem. After all, he is godfather to Elizabeth’s son Damian, so has every reason to stay in touch. But he knows how sensitive Jemima is about Elizabeth, so when she asked him if he had seen her lately, he said no.

"Big mistake. Jemima hit the roof and started screaming at him, calling him a liar and accusing him and Elizabeth of having an affair. That was where all the problems began — since then they have been fighting like cat and dog. Every time Hugh does the smallest thing to upset her, Jemima will bring it up again and tell him to go back to Elizabeth, since he loves her so much."

Fast forward to this week and the situation appears altogether more stable. After all, have we not been treated to the romantic vision of Hugh and Jemima embracing on a Venetian hotel balcony, oblivious to paparazzi in the ancient square below?

Pause for a moment, however, and consider the details. The images were distributed by Jason Fraser, the millionaire paparazzo famous for taking secretly prearranged ‘natural’ pictures of figures such as Princess Diana and Victoria Beckham.

It would, perhaps, be going too far to accuse the couple of staging the pictures. Yet they reveal a level of intimacy never before seen by the public. Coming at a time when the couple’s relationship has been subject to a wave of negative publicity, they are timely to say the least.

Indeed, it is understood that Miss Hurley has already commented on the performance in typically waspish fashion. "I never knew Hugh was such a good actor," she wryly told a friend.

For in truth, friends of Hugh and Jemima say that, regardless of this very public rapprochement, their relationship is hanging by a thread. This month marks their second anniversary as a couple, and London society is rife with gossip that while Jemima is increasingly desperate to marry her handsome leading man, he is struggling with a seemingly terminal aversion to commitment.

Bad omen
Jemima’s recent purchase of an £18 million mansion in Chelsea — the most expensive property per square foot in the country — was supposed to be a joint venture, drawing Hugh formally into the domestic fold. Instead he has backed off, leaving Jemima to make the purchase alone while he throws himself back into his career. The omens are not good.

"Hugh likes to pretend he’s a bit mysterious, but everybody knows really he’s just like those bumbling characters he portrays on screen," says a friend. "He’s terribly nice and amusing, but when it comes to anything serious — like getting married — he runs a country mile."

Some observers have questioned Jemima’s apparent keenness to marry again. Having been through an unhappy divorce from Pakistani cricket legend Imran Khan — the father of her two sons — one might expect her to be reluctant to make the same mistake twice.

However, the Mail understands that having initially been hesitant about marrying her somewhat unreliable boyfriend, she is now fully prepared to tie the knot — if asked — so much so that on a recent holiday she fully expected him to propose, and was devastated when he didn’t.

As one source recounts: "They were in the South of France on one of their many holidays and ended a romantic day by having dinner at a beautiful hilltop restaurant, which Hugh had made a big fuss about.

"It was all so romantic that Jemima was convinced he was going to get down on one knee. But as the evening wore on she gradually realised it wasn’t going to happen. Jemima’s not the best at hiding her feelings and she went a bit moody and sulky, and wouldn’t talk to him the next day. Hugh played the innocent and asked what was the matter, but he knew full well. He’s just petrified of saying the 'M' word, so he pleaded ignorance."

Though this episode caused a little friction, friends say that Jemima is far too smitten with Grant to end it. Instead, she has embarked on a campaign to win him over, first by tackling the perception of many of his friends that she is not ‘interesting’ enough.

And what better way to counter Miss Hurley’s claims that she has ‘had a sense of humour bypass’ than to accept Bhs boss Philip Green’s offer — as part of a £50,000 charity bid — to take his place in a 60-second kiss with Kate Moss? Doubtless that recent episode was tongue in cheek (no pun intended), yet it belies a serious intent on the part of Jemima to prove she is a spontaneous, fun girl.

"Of course it was partly for charity," says a friend. "But there is no doubt that she knew Hugh would be hugely entertained by it. He told Jemima he thought it was really foxy. She just giggled and said how embarrassing it was, then asked if it bothered him.

"Hugh said on the contrary, he thought it was very sexy. That hurt Jemima, because she wanted him to be a bit possessive and jealous. Imran would have hit the roof about something like that — and deep down Jemima likes father figures who lay down the law — but Hugh just didn’t care. In fact, Jemima felt he had enjoyed it a little bit too much for her liking."

This was not the only time Hugh’s relaxed attitude has rankled. On another occasion, at a society dinner party, Jemima confronted Hugh for ignoring the fact that one of the young male guests was flirting outrageously with her.

His response was perfectly rational and consistent with his personality — "Why should I be bothered? I like the fact that people find my partner attractive." Yet to Jemima it was yet another symptom of his laissez-faire attitude towards their relationship.

Recent cracks
Of course, it was not always so. According to sources close to the couple, their relationship was surprisingly stable in the early stages, and despite persistent speculation it is only in recent months that serious cracks have begun to appear.

The catalyst was Hugh's decision to return to work with gusto, following a fallow period during which he’d become disillusioned with Hollywood, resulting in an uncharacteristic display of rudeness at the premiere of the second Bridget Jones movie.

"When they first got together, things were great," says a friend. "Hugh was a bit jaded about work and wanted a break. They spent a lot of time holidaying and partying and he put a lot of effort into getting to know her two young sons. It was all pretty perfect really. Gradually, Jemima went from thinking Hugh was just a good-looking bit of male totty to believing that this was the man for her.

"Suddenly, after a year which was basically one long holiday, Hugh said he said he wanted to throw himself back into his work and wouldn’t have as much time for her. Jemima didn’t understand and took it very badly."

Of course, for Hugh there is the simple reality that while fame has earned him a lot of money, unlike his mega-rich heiress girlfriend — she is daughter of the late billionaire Jimmy Goldsmith — he is not in a position never to have to work again. Moreover, friends say that while ‘masculine pride’ renders him uncomfortable with any perception that he is a kept man, he has come to enjoy the finer things in life.

Others suggest Hugh’s decision to go back to work is an example of him running away from commitment. "Hugh is terrible at ending things," says one friend. "He can’t ever tell somebody it’s over — he prefers to do a runner. Jemima’s not going to take a hint, so he’s a bit stuck."

Whatever the truth, in recent weeks friends have detected a definite (some suggest calculated) lightening of Jemima’s mood.

"After all the massive rows that started a couple of months ago, Jemima has definitely changed tack," says a source. "The trip to Venice is really a last-ditch attempt to salvage their relationship, and she’s prepared to do whatever it takes to make a go of it. Now she’s saying: 'Look, I don’t want to get married, I’m happy as it is. I’m not going to pressure you but I think we’ve got too much of a good thing just to throw it away.'

"She says she wants to inject some passion into their relationship — she wants to be a fun girlfriend. Frankly, nobody’s convinced."

Thorn
While insiders insist Hugh and Liz Hurley will never get back together, it is widely acknowledged that their closeness — they were, after all, together for 13 years — is a thorn in Jemima’s side. Aside from a brief ‘honeymoon period’ two years ago, the two women have never got on.

Much to Jemima’s chagrin, Elizabeth is still Hugh’s closest confidante. Indeed, despite having been separated for more than five years, they have only recently wound up their business partnership, Simian Films.

So, as their relationship enters its third year, Hugh and Jemima find themselves at a crossroads, uncertain if they will grow old together or drift apart into their respective social circles. And therein, perhaps, lies the most difficult issue of all. For all their undoubted attraction, Hugh and Jemima come from different worlds.

As one friend puts it: "Much as Hugh tries to pretend that he is upper class, in truth he is just a middle-class boy made good, whereas Jemima is a billionaire’s daughter who has only ever known the upper echelons of society.

The class divide didn’t really show when she was married to Imran, because he was almost like a god in Pakistan and is blessed with a phenomenal self-assurance.

"But the unpalatable truth is that some of Jemima’s family and friends are terrible snobs and, frankly, Hugh doesn’t quite cut it."

Meanwhile, Jemima is stepping up preparations to move in to her new home.
And while friends expect Hugh to be a frequent visitor — for the time being at least — the fact remains that she is effectively doing so as a single mother.

Whether that is her decision, or his, is a moot point. But one thing is for certain: it will take a lot more than a photo opportunity on a hotel balcony to paper over the cracks in this relationship.

Source: UK Daily Mail

Jemima needs to move on - who wants Elizabeth Whore-ley's cast-offs anyway, with their STDs? And Hugh seems to be enjoying the attention a bit too much!