Read Online INFAMOUS SCANDALS (True Crime) by Anne Williams, Vivian Head - Free Book Online

the bumbling, feckless but charming British upper-class twit, became the subject of one of Hollywood’s biggest scandals, when in 1995 he was arrested by police on Sunset Strip in Los Angeles. He was in his car with prostitute Divine Brown, who was apparently performing oral sex on him. The officer who arrested him charged him with lewd conduct in a public place and Grant later admitted that he had paid Brown $50 to perform the act. When the story came out, a police mug shot of Grant, looking somewhat dishevelled, appeared in newspapers all over the world, along with one of Ms Brown, who also looked somewhat the worse for wear.
    The scandal was such that it looked as though Grant’s reputation would be seriously damaged by the incident, especially as his long-time partner Liz Hurley, another Hollywood star, publicly admitted how upset she was by what had happened. However, in the event, the affair did not damage Grant too badly; in fact, some commentators felt it had actually helped his cause. After the event, Grant made no attempt to defend his behaviour, as many Hollywood stars would have done, and wasn’t even afraid of being interviewed on the subject. Instead, he ‘faced the music’, taking the opportunity to apologise gallantly to all concerned, including Hurley. Indeed, he handled the scandal so well that he may, ironically, have increased his popularity among his female fans. Once the sordid details of his amorous tryst had emerged, his image of a flawed but lovable young man getting himself into scrapes – in the tradition of ‘boys will be boys’ – was not substantially altered. As his grandmother reportedly put it to her friends, explaining his behaviour, ‘He had a few drinks and got fresh with the girls’. Sadly, however, his relationship with Hurley did not survive the scandal, and the couple parted, although they later went on to become close friends.
     
    C OMIC TALENT
     
    Hugh John Mungo Grant was born in London, the second son of Fynvola MacLean, a teacher, and James Grant, a businessman and aspiring artist. The family had military connections, his grandfather being a member of the Seaforth Highlanders regiment, whose tradition was always to die in combat rather than ever to surrender. As a child, Grant was told the story of how his grandfather broke with the tradition to save hundreds of lives. Many years later, Grant spoke about his wish to make a film about his grandfather, but said this would be impossible as his father regarded all films as a ‘vulgarisation of the truth’.
    The Grants had no wish for their son to become an actor and were pleased when Hugh gained a place at Oxford University to study English. On completing his degree, however, he failed to do well enough to follow through with a doctorate, and instead began to trade on his good looks and charm. Before long, he had landed a part in a Merchant-Ivory film, Maurice , and proved that he wasn’t just a pretty face but that he could actually act as well. More choice roles followed, until in 1994 he revealed his talent for comedy in the film that really made his name, Four Weddings and a Funeral . By this time he had developed an engaging film persona of an easily embarrassed, disorganised, rather selfish young man who seeks to avoid responsibility and entrapment in a domestic relationship at all costs. The role was undoubtedly based on the famous character of Bertie Wooster created by P. G. Wodehouse, but Grant’s genius was to update it for the 1990s, which he did to great comic effect in the film.
    Oral sex in a car
     
    Four Weddings was a huge success, and became the highest grossing British film ever. After its release, Grant became a major star, not only in Britain but internationally. He was seen as a golden boy and he and his partner, the glamorous Liz Hurley, became one of the most feted couples in Hollywood. However, the good times were about to end.
    On 27 June 1995, Grant went for a drive down Sunset Strip, one of