Latest news with #FourWeddingsAndAFuneral
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Hugh Grant still haunted by sordid brush with the law 30 years ago as 'lewd' incident resurfaces among young fans
Hugh Grant is known for some of his iconic roles in classic romcoms like Notting Hill and Four Weddings and a Funeral (and his cameo in the horror movie Heretic). But thanks to a recently resurfaced news article, many younger fans are only just learning about a brush with the law he had 30 years ago. One Reddit user recently shared a picture of the front page of The Sun newspaper on June 28, 1995 which featured the headline, 'HUGH AND HIS HOOKER.' Right as he was riding the high of his rising stardom thanks to Four Weddings and a Funeral, Grant was arrested for having sex in his car with Divine Brown who happened to be a sex worker. Grant was caught on Sunset Strip in Los Angeles, where he had met Brown (whose legal name is Estella Marie Thompson) and paid $60 to have oral sex performed on him. At the time, he faced the possibility of six months in jail for 'lewd conduct' in a public place. Instead, he got away with just paying a $1,000 fine (which, in today's terms would be a little over $2,000) and attending an AIDs education program. Brown, on the other hand, was sentenced to 180 days in prison, as she had violated her parole for previous prostitution charges. Divine Brown, the sex worker who Grant was caught with, had to face 180 days in jail while Grant had to pay a fine and attend an AIDs education program After making headlines, Grant - who was linked to long term girlfriend Elizabeth Hurley at the time - released a statement the day after getting arrested. 'Last night I did something completely insane,' he said. '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.' But even 30 years later, some Hurley fans can't believe Grant was unfaithful to her. 'He was dating Elizabeth Hurley... some people are never satisfied with what they have,' one user said. 'How could you do that to Elizabeth Hurley,' another wrote followed by a sad face. Other Redditors seemed more concerned with the disproportionate sentences that he and Brown received. Other Reddit users expressed their anger over the disproportionate punishments Grant and Brown received for the act 'The double standard in that sentencing is insane,' one Redditor commented. 'The f**k, I never knew she spent time in jail for this,' another said. 'I shouldn't be surprised I guess at how unfair she was treated.' 'This is whyyyyy we need [decriminalization]. Complete insanity for her to be in prison for SIX MONTHS,' another user shared.
Buzz Feed
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
Andie MacDowell Calls Out Double Standards Around Aging
Andie MacDowell was 31 years old when she landed her breakout role in the 1989 movie Sex, Lies, and Videotape, with the star going on to have a glittering acting career with other huge films including Groundhog Day, and Four Weddings And A Funeral. And Andie has certainly switched up the kinds of characters she plays in recent years. In 2021, she played her real-life daughter Margaret Qualley's eccentric onscreen mom in the Netflix series Maid, and she has played grandmother Del in the fantasy show The Way Home since 2023. Now, a two-year-old interview with Andie has resurfaced on social media, with the star being praised for how she articulately called out the double standards that male and female actors face as they age. Speaking at Cannes in 2023, Andie — who was 65 years old at the time — explained that men are 'allowed to get older' in the industry, whereas women see their job offers dry up. 'Why do we have this expectation for women to not age? You wouldn't question Hugh Grant or George Clooney!' she begins in the resurfaced clip. 'I feel debonair. I'm sorry, I do. I feel that. I feel just like a man, I do. I feel fabulous.' 'Why have men been glorified as they age? I've always talked about this, and I think it really is a psychological thing we have imprinted in us,' Andie went on, before referencing her gray hair. 'If you want me to look different, I can wear a wig. But I'm not coloring my hair — it took me three years for my hair to grow out. I'm not going to color it!' Andie then revealed that while she struggled to book roles in her 40s, things took another turn as she got older. She said: 'I'm more appreciated now… We have this idea that men age and get sexy and women don't, and they don't know what to do with you.' 'So as soon as a man turns 40, they just put him with a younger woman,' she continued. 'And then, psychologically, we give them this power. We think that they are sexy because they've got this younger woman. We give them this power, but we don't do the same thing for a woman. We go: 'Woah! Well, what do we do with her?'''Unless she's very, very powerful in Hollywood,' Andie then clarified. 'Then it's different. But for the majority of women, it's a big struggle. And then we turn 60 and we get to play great characters!' When this video was shared to a popular Reddit forum, people were quick to share their agreement with Andie's no-nonsense remarks. One popular comment reads: "propaganda I'm not falling for: 'men age like fine wine.'" 'Every man acts like they're automatically going to look like Pedro Pascal when they're fifty when that is absolutely not the case. Meanwhile I literally see really good looking women in their fifties all the time,' somebody else claimed. 'This is what always rubs me the wrong way about the whole Silver Fox hype and how men just aging decently is way more gushed over and praised than the women who do the same, and how they're allowed to age and not take care of their skin but older women that get work done are constantly clowned on,' one more wrote.'It's wild how men get 'distinguished' and women get 'washed up,'' another observed. While somebody else concluded: 'Loveeee this and love her whole vibe. If I look half as good as her as I get older I'd be chuffed." What do you make of Andie's resurfaced comments? Let me know down below!
Daily Mail
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Andie MacDowell, 67, is a bra-free beauty in a silk negligee at Cannes as she reveals how she stays a size 4
Andie MacDowell has managed to stay in great shape after decades in Hollywood. Turns out her enviable size four shape comes from exercising and feeling proud of her body. 'I love to exercise, I go to yoga and I walk a lot,' she noted as she was seen going bra-free in a silky negligee dress when at the Cannes Film Festival in France this week. 'Everyone talks about ageing arms and I can be hard on myself about my arms because they're not perfect any more, but they're actually not that bad. 'I try to go without sleeves and not cover-up too much. They're not bad!' added the Four Weddings And A Funeral star. The Hollywood star also insists she won't 'cover-up too much'. She said: 'When you age, your skin changes, and the way your skin looks changes. 'I tell myself, In ten years' time you're going to say those arms were fabulous. Remember what you thought about your legs and all that time that you wasted? 'So, for me now, I show my arms because I do work out a lot, and they look pretty good.' she noted. She thinks beauty 'comes from the inside'. The 67-year-old star enjoys working out to stay a size four and she follows a skincare routine but Andie doesn't obsess about her appearance. The actress - who has previously modelled for brands like Calvin Klein - told the Daily Telegraph newspaper: 'I think it's important not to look in the mirror too much. 'Your substance and your beauty comes from the inside, so I do my skincare and a little make-up before I leave the house, and then I don't think about it. Just enjoy your life and let the beauty radiate from the inside.' Andie now wishes she was more lenient on herself during her younger years. Asked if she would do anything differently, the movie star explained: 'I would tell my younger self not to worry about what people think. 'To trust myself and feel good about my body.' And there was a part of her body she did not like. 'Oh my God. My legs were so great and I didn't like them because they were athletic,' said the St Elmo's Fire star. Andie previously claimed that she feels 'too old' to conform to Hollywood's beauty standards. The actress has enjoyed a successful career in the movie business - but Andie feels female stars continue to face unhealthy pressures. She told People: 'I did a fitting and the dress was really tight around my waist. It looks so good, but I woke up and I just knew it was not the right thing for me to do. 'I wanted to wear something that was comfortable. And, of course, immediately I shamed myself for not being able to fit into this dress. But that's Hollywood.'
Daily Mail
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Race Across The World fans are only just realising the show's narrator is a huge nineties movie star - as they gush over 'dulcet tones they will never tire of'
Race Across The World fans have just realised the show's narrator is a huge nineties movie star. The BBC adventure show sees five sets of contestants go head-to-head in a 14,000 kilometers race across China, Nepal and India for a huge cash prize. On Wednesday, a new season of Race Across The World kicked off and was narrated by John Hannah, 63. It saw sisters, Elizabeth and Letitia; former married couple, Yin and Gaz, brothers, Brian and Melvyn; teenage couple, Fin and Sioned and mother and son, Caroline and Tom, all begin their long journeys. Though there's no need for narrator John to play a character in this BBC reality show, he has an impressive acting portfolio. John previously starred in the 1994 film Four Weddings And A Funeral, which he received a BAFTA nomination for Best Actor In A Supporting Role. He also featured in 1998 hit Sliding Doors, amongst many other TV appearances. Some viewers recognised the Scottish actor's voice and took to social media to share their thoughts. Many posted on X: '#RaceAcrossTheWorld it's great listening to John Hannah's gentle commentary again.' 'So glad #RaceAcrossTheWorld is back. A reminder that everyone's life would be better if narrated by John Hannah.' 'The John Hannah voice over really adds to Race Across The World.' In previous years, fans of the show have gushed over John's narration too and posted: 'All caught up on #RaceAcrosstheWorld. Good to hear the dulcet tones of John Hannah narrating the series.' 'I will never tire of hearing John Hannah's voice #RaceAcrossTheWorld.' 'Can we have some appreciation for John Hannah's narration on #raceacrosstheworld - three series in and every word is pitch perfect.' Some viewers recognised the Scottish actor's voice and took to social media to share their thoughts John has provided a voice over for the series since it began back in 2019. The actor has also appeared in an episode of Black Mirror as Richard King, owner of the Lochside Inn. He starred in 27 episodes of TV series Transplant as Chief Of Emergency Medicine Jed Bishop.
Daily Mail
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Hugh Grant blasts 'pathetic' schools for feeding children's screen addictions as he demands laptops and tablets are removed from classrooms
Hugh Grant has condemned schools for indulging pupils' screen addictions - as the actor called for laptops and tablets to be barred from classrooms. The Hollywood star and father-of-five made the call at a campaigning event at a school in west London, as he also criticised education chiefs for bars on children playing outside. Notting Hill and Four Weddings And A Funeral star Grant, 64, accused schools of making 'pathetic' calls on what their students were allowed to do. And he described himself as 'another angry parent fighting the eternal, exhausting and depressive battle with children who only want to be on a screen'. He took part in the move organised by group Close Screens, Open Minds - appearing alongside US psychologist Dr Jonathan Haidt as well as actress Sophie Winkleman who is wed to King Charles 's second cousin Lord Frederick Windsor. The event took place at Knightsbridge School in west London, a nearby district to Kensington where Grant has previously owned homes including a penthouse that was advertised for sale for almost £8million in 2021. Some 98 per cent of teachers now use technology in classrooms across primary and secondary schools Grant, who has been married since 2018 to Swedish TV producer Anna Eberstein, lambasted classroom Chromebooks for pupils as 'the last f***ing thing they need'. Laptops and phones are available in primary and secondary school classrooms to nine out of ten pupils, according to a Department for Education report in 2023. Grant appeared at the event alongside Dr Haidt, who wants schools to phone-free as well as a ban on mobiles for those aged under 14 and under-16s to be prevented from using social media. Dr Haidt said there should be a role for technology in schools but 'not on children's desks', the Telegraph reported. And Grant was quoted as expressing his frustration about the treatment of pupils, saying: 'The final straw was when the school started saying, with some smugness, we give every child a Chromebook. 'And they do a lot of lessons on their Chromebook, and they do all their homework on their Chromebook, and you just thought that is the last f***ing thing they need, and the last thing we need.' Grant also criticised what he described as the 'kind of ridiculous posh private schools' attended by his children for allegedly restricting outdoor play. He said: 'They're the ones saying they're not going to play outside today because it's raining, or they can't go on the climbing frame because it's windy. 'It's pathetic - it seems to me that there is space here for a hero school, a set of schools, to break the mould.' Meanwhile, Peep Show sitcom actress Winkleman, said: 'We were sold a dream that technology would revolutionise education, personalise learning and prepare kids for a digital future. Billions of dollars and pounds later, where are we? 'Test scores are plummeting globally. The increased screen use is damaging children's health. 'Pupils are resorting to ChatGPT to write their essays, and teachers are employing AI to mark them, which begs the question, what's the point of school?' And Dr Haidt told the event at Knightsbridge School: 'Test scores began going down after 2012 - I don't know if it's because of the phones, or because that's when we put iPads and Chromebooks on kids' desks. 'Whatever it is, as soon as we brought in the EdTech, scores plunged.' MailOnline has contacted representatives for Hugh Grant for further comment. His calls come after the Children's Commissioner earlier this month suggested that smartphone use should be restricted for children outside of school to keep them safe 'beyond the classroom'. She spoke out as a new survey of 19,000 schools and colleges found that the vast majority already restricted mobile phone use during the school day. Dame Rachel de Souza said stronger action was needed to protect children 'outside of the school gates', including restricting smartphone use and a possible social media ban for under-16s. A poll of children aged between eight and 15 also found that almost one in four spent more than four hours each day using a computer, phone, tablet or games console. Some 69 per cent of children devote more than two hours daily to electronic devices, while six per cent even said they used them more than six hours a day, the YouGov survey reported. Dame Rachel said: 'These children are not spending these hours on their phones while sat in school. It goes much wider than that. 'If we want to protect children, we must broaden our focus beyond school gates and ensure they are safe online at all times.' Schools in England were given non-statutory Government guidance in February last year intended to restrict the use of phones during the school day. Meanwhile, Labour was last month accused of 'capitulating' to tech giants and 'betraying our children' by 'gutting' laws that would have included a ban on smartphones in schools. Proposed legislation, known as the Safer Phones Bill, has been introduced to Parliament by Labour backbencher Josh McAlister. The Bill aims to protect under-16s from addictive social media content on sites like TikTok and Snapchat and prevent them 'doom scrolling' on their phones. Majority of young peole support stricter rules on social media - poll The majority of young people support the idea of placing stricter rules on social media, with more than 60 per cent saying they believe it does more harm than good. A study from new think tank The New Britain Project and polling firm More in Common found that three-quarters of those aged 16 to 24 said stronger rules were needed to protect young people from social media harms, and social media was named as the most negative influence on teens' mental health. According to the research, which surveyed more than 1,600 16-to-24-year-olds, 55 per cent said social media had gotten worse in the last five years, with 62 per cent saying it has become less safe for young people. Four out of five young people also said they would try to keep their own children off social media for as long as possible. In general, young women were more negative about social media than young men, and half of all young people said they regretted time spent on their phones while growing up. Luke Tryl, executive director at More in Common, said: 'Far from feeling empowered by smartphones and social media this research shows that many Gen Z Britons regret the time they spent on their devices and wish they'd waited longer to access social media - so much so they would try and keep their own children off social media for as long as possible - but they personally now feel they would struggle to quit.' If passed into law, it would instruct UK chief medical officers to publish advice for parents on the use of smartphones and social media by children. It would also compel ministers to say within a year whether they plan to raise the age at which children can consent for their data to be shared without parental permission. But Mr MacAlister and the Government today faced anger over the watering-down of his initial proposals following talks with ministers. The Whitehaven and Workington MP had originally planned for his private members' bill to call for a legal requirement to make all schools in England mobile-free zones. Mr MacAlister also wanted to commit the Government to review further regulation of the design, supply, marketing and use of smartphones by under-16s. As MPs debated the Bill's second reading, Tory MP Kit Malthouse claimed the officially-titled Protection of Children Bill was now a 'hollowed-out gesture'. The former education secretary told the House of Commons he lamented 'the gutting of what could have been a landmark Bill' Mr Malthouse claimed the Government had 'dithered, diluted and capitulated', adding: 'We should all be furious about this. 'We should all be furious about the delay and the prevarication that is being injected into what could have been a huge step forward for parents and children. 'I cannot then understand why the Government has pressured (Mr MacAlister) to produce what is, frankly, a cosmetic plug, betraying our children and capitulating to big tech. 'I'm afraid this Bill is a shell of what it could have been, and as a result, is yet another missed opportunity to improve the lives of our young people.' Fellow Tory MP Sir Ashley Fox said he suspected a Government whip had told Mr MacAlister 'he had a very promising career ahead of him should he agree to do the right thing and water this legislation down to the point where it doesn't actually do very much at all'. Intervening, Mr MacAlister said: 'Private members' Bills are often a shot in the dark, and my aim from the beginning of this process has been, yes, to have the national debate. 'But also to put all of my energy on landing this with some action and progress.' Speaking in support of his Bill, Mr MacAlister - a former teacher - told MPs that the average 12-year-old spends 21 hours a week on their smartphone 'This is a fundamental rewiring of childhood itself and it's happened in little over a decade,' he added. 'We must act on excessive screen time today in the same way we acted on smoking back then, and like debates that were had on smoking and car seatbelts, it took a process of legislation rather than one 'big bang' event. 'That's why starting today with these initial steps and then following them through with major action soon will be so important.' Data protection minister Sir Chris Bryant said he was 'not going to make any arguments today against action'. 'Everybody accepts that action is inevitable in this sphere,' he added. Sir Chris said the Government was working to implement the already-passed Online Safety Act 'as fast as we possibly can' A proposed bill aims to protect under-16s from addictive social media content on sites such as TikTok and Snapchat and prevent them 'doom scrolling' on their phones He added that illegal content codes will come into force this month, with new duties on social media companies to detect and remove some content including child sexual abuse and terrorism material. He said children's safety codes are 'nearly finalised', and told the Commons that the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology was running a feasibility study into the impact of smartphones and social media. That is due to report in May, so ministers 'have all the information that we need to make a considered view', Sir Chris added. MPs agreed to adjourn the debate, which was listed to resume on July 11.
