The Untold Truth Of Elizabeth Hurley
Elizabeth Hurley became a celebrity the moment she stepped out in an iconic, black Versace dress on May 11, 1994 (pictured above). Hurley was accompanying then-boyfriend Hugh Grant to the London premiere of his film, Four Weddings and a Funeral. The dress, according to The New York Times, was created by Gianni Versace and held together by safety pins and a prayer. After flaunting her vivacious personality and physical beauty, there was nowhere to go but up. And up she went.
Hurley went from being known as the girlfriend of Grant to standing on her own, not only through her acting career, but also through a business empire, particularly her eponymous swimsuit company, Elizabeth Hurley Beach. The site features the model, mother, and business tycoon garbed in swimwear as colorful as tropical fruit.
While life sounds breezy for the British model, Hurley has lived through some heartbreaking periods too, and she's spoken candidly about these times. In celebration of this remarkable woman, here's everything we know about Elizabeth Hurley.
Elizabeth Hurley rises to the top, but not without hardships
Elizabeth Hurley was born on June 10, 1965, according to Us Weekly. She was raised in Basingstoke, a suburb of London, according to the New York Times, and caught some attention when she won a "Face of the Year" contest held by a local newspaper, per Us Weekly. The exposure was enough to land her in some small movie and TV parts and one of these projects was produced by actor Hugh Grant.
It was, of course, with Grant that Hurley donned her showstopper Versace dress and became a worldwide sensation. The couple dated from 1987-2000, according to Us Weekly, and in this time, Hurley landed some major gigs. Hurley was cast as Vanessa Kensington in the 1997 film, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, starring alongside Mike Myers. She also became a spokesmodel for the makeup brand, Estée Lauder, in the mid-90s, according to the Times.
However, throughout this ascension, Hurley faced some significant hardships. Grant was caught soliciting a prostitute in Los Angeles in 1995 and was facing "the possibility of six months in jail for participating in 'lewd conduct' in a public place," according to The Guardian. Hurley stayed by Grant's side through this, though The Independent reported that two months after the arrest, Hurley said "she felt like she had been shot."
But this wasn't the end of dark times for Hurley.
Elizabeth Hurley's ex initially denied paternity of their son
After Elizabeth Hurley and Hugh Grant split up in 2000, the actress started dating producer and multi-millionaire, Steve Bing (pictured). On April 4, 2002, Hurley gave birth to her son and only child, Damian Charles, according to Metro U.K. Things got complicated when Bing denied being Damian's father, claiming that he and Hurley were in a "non-exclusive" relationship.
However, DNA tests proved that Bing was indeed Damian's father, according to Metro. Once confirmed, Bing then offered to pay child support in sums of $159,000 per year, which Hurley tried to refuse, according to Entertainment Weekly. According to Reuters (via EW), Hurley said, "I have always made it perfectly clear to Stephen Bing [that] I don't want any financial help from him whatsoever." However, Hurley couldn't refuse the money, since it was for her son.
Hurley then married Arun Nayar, an Indian businessman, in 2007, after two highly publicized ceremonies in both England and India, according to Us Weekly. However, they split up in 2010. Following this, Hurley dated Australian cricket star Shane Warne, but they split in 2013, according to The Sun, because both Hurley and Warne were too busy with work.
However, Bing, the father of Hurley's son, would come back into her life in a tragic way.
Elizabeth Hurley pays tribute to Steve Bing
In a tragic turn of events, Steve Bing died by suicide on June 22, 2020, TMZ reported. According to the outlet, Bing had been struggling with depression due to the loneliness of quarantine. Elizabeth Hurley responded to the news by posting a tribute to Bing on Instagram.
"I am saddened beyond belief that my ex Steve is no longer with us. It is a terrible end," Hurley wrote. "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 we had become close again. We last spoke on our son's 18th birthday. This is devastating news and I thank everyone for their lovely messages."
Damian (pictured with his mother above) also posted on Instagram, thanking people for their support and saying, "This is a very strange and confusing time and I'm immensely grateful to be surrounded by my phenomenal family and friends." According to Us Weekly, Bing had two children: Damian and a daughter, Kira, whom he shared with tennis player Lisa Bonder.
If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or text HOME to the Crisis Text Line at 741741.