Tragic Details About Elizabeth Hurley's Life

Elizabeth Hurley's stunning transformation over the years has made her the epitome of beauty and glamour. The British actor appeared in her first film in 1987 and became known for her roles in "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery" and the series "The Royals," as well as for her long stint as a spokesperson for Estée Lauder. Unfortunately, Hurley's professional accomplishments have often been overshadowed by her personal life. For example, many will remember her highly publicized romance with fellow actor Hugh Grant, and also the scandal that was splashed all over tabloids in the '90s. 

Hurley bounced back, but it seemed as though she just couldn't quite catch a break, as scandals seemed to follow her into relationship after relationship. However, it wasn't just her love life that was difficult. Hurley has undergone some disturbing tragedies over the years, and behind her megawatt smile has been a deep sadness at times. Through it all, she has survived and is thriving in her 50s, posting body-positive swimsuit pictures on social media and continuing her charity endeavors. Read on to learn more about the tragic details of Elizabeth Hurley's life.

Although they were one of the most famous power couples of the '90s, what you may not know about Elizabeth Hurley and Hugh Grant's relationship is that trouble lurked below the seemingly happy surface. The pair met in 1987 while filming the period film "Rowing with the Wind" and began their long romance shortly thereafter. The photogenic couple appeared very content together, so it came as a shock when Grant was caught cheating on Hurley in 1995. This was no ordinary case of infidelity either, as its scandalous nature made headlines. Grant was caught soliciting services from a sex worker named Divine Brown and was subsequently arrested for lewd conduct.

Hurley was understandably taken aback by the incident and shared her feelings in a statement to the press. "I am still bewildered and saddened by recent events and have not been in a fit state to make any decisions about the future," she said. "For years I have turned to Hugh for help during difficult times and so now, even though my family and friends have been very kind, I am very much alone." 

Despite the betrayal and public humiliation, Hurley and Grant stayed together. The pair managed to temporarily make their relationship work until finally splitting in 2000. The did remain close, however, so much so that Grant was chosen as the godfather to Hurley's son, Damian. Since then, Hurley has opened up about her friendship with Grant numerous times. "We met on a movie 29 years ago and he's still my best friend today and I still speak to him every day," Hurley told Us Weekly in 2016.

Elizabeth Hurley has been a global ambassador for Estée Lauder's breast cancer campaign since 1995. The actor has done a lot to raise funds and awareness for the millions of women afflicted with the disease, including setting a Guinness World Record in 2010 for illuminating thirty-nine buildings around the world pink as part of her work with Estée Lauder. Hurley has a personal connection to her charity work, as her grandmother passed away from breast cancer in 1995.

"My grandmother was a wonderful woman," Hurley shared with Today. "She was diagnosed with breast cancer in her late seventies, at a time when women did not speak openly about the disease and far too many suffered in silence." Sadly, Hurley's grandmother kept her diagnosis a secret, and Hurley didn't find out "until it was too late." "To this day, it brings me such sadness to think how alone she much have felt," Hurley said.

In an interview with CNBC, Hurley spoke about the importance of early detection, including self-checkups. She revealed that her grandmother had found a lump herself, but had been too scared and embarrassed to tell her doctor. Despite having undergone a mastectomy, the cancer spread to her liver. "We know that if breast cancer is caught early there's an extremely strong chance of survival, but the key words are catching it early," Hurley explained.

In the year 2000, Elizabeth Hurley began dating wealthy American businessman and film producer Steve Bing. The pair appeared happy together, but when Hurley became pregnant, Bing denied that the child was his. He even released a statement saying, "Ms. Hurley and I were not in an exclusive relationship when she became pregnant. It is her choice to be a single mother" (via The Guardian). Hurley's son, Damian Hurley, was born in 2002, and DNA tests proved that Bing was, in fact, the father.

Despite the paternity test results, Bing did not have a relationship with his son, and the two reportedly never even met. Still, Hurley says that she and Bing reunited as friends years later. Sadly, Bing died by suicide in June of 2020. Hurley shared her grief in an Instagram post which featured photos of her and Bing throughout the years. "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," her caption read in part. Just like Hurley's heartfelt tribute to Queen Elizabeth in 2022, this homage to Bing tugged at our heartstrings. 

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org

Elizabeth Hurley was a big star in the '90s, making her a target for obsessed fans. The actor even reportedly purchased a gun and took shooting lessons because she was frightened that her fame had attracted unpredictable people. In 2001, Hurley's fears were realized as she became the victim of a stalker named Petar Mihajlovic. Mihajlovic loitered around Hurley's home in Kensington, sent her flowers, and rang her doorbell while carrying a stuffed toy. Hurley was pregnant at the time, and Mihajlovic had been sending her bizarre letters, one of which allegedly said, "Don't have the baby. Get rid of it. If you've got to keep it, say it's mine" (via British Vogue). 

Mihajlovic, who was escorted away from Hurley's property by police, told reporters he'd been having dreams about the actor for years. In an unsettling turn of events, he returned to Hurley's home just days before she was set to give birth, even though he had previously been arrested for harassing her, prompting the actor to leave her home for the duration of her pregnancy. During a 2019 appearance on "Watch What Happens Live", Hurley spoke about having the same stalker as the Queen of England, although it was unclear whether she was referring to Mihajlovic. "So, as it happens, every time he changes locations we get told by Scotland Yard," she revealed.

Many celebrities not only take their fame in stride, they seem to revel in being spotted by fans and paparazzi alike. But Elizabeth Hurley found herself paralyzed by being in the public eye, so much so that it had a serious effect on her life. "I was a recluse for years," she revealed to the Times. "I didn't leave the house unless I was being paid to do so. I couldn't bear people listening to me, staring at me, watching me. I felt vulnerable and scared the entire time."

She described fearing that paparazzi were around even on a remote beach while vacationing with a friend. "...I think when you lose that degree of privacy it is a terrible shock to the system," she explained. It was the birth of her son that changed her perspective, and she began doing normal activities like going out for coffee and shopping for groceries. The change didn't go unnoticed by Hurley's ex and close friend Hugh Grant, who expressed surprise that she'd become more comfortable being in public. "...He said, 'You went out to a shop? I've never seen you do that ever,'" Hurley shared.

In 2007, Elizabeth Hurley wed Indian businessman Arun Nayar. The couple spared no expense for their nuptials, tying the knot in a lavish wedding on the English countryside and again in a traditional Hindu ceremony in Jodhpur, India. Unfortunately, the marriage itself could not stand the test of time, and the couple divorced four years later in 2011.

Hurley announced the split via a succinct tweet, stating, "Not a great day. For the record, my husband Arun & I separated a few months ago. Our close family & friends were aware of this." The announcement came on the heels of a report by News of the World (via Today) claiming that Hurley was having an affair with Australian cricket player Shane Warne, complete with photos of the two kissing. Yet, it was Hurley who filed for divorce from Nayar citing "unreasonable behavior."

To make matters messier, Nayar's father spoke out amid news of the couple's split, saying he and his wife felt disrespected during his son and Hurley's Indian wedding. According to Nayar's father, the couple broke the rules regarding alcohol at their traditional ceremony, and that Hurley had turned her nose up at an expensive necklace that had been designed for the occasion. He claimed the separation was a shock and told The Mirror, "I knew she [Elizabeth] was very ambitious, but I never realized just how important fame and attention is to her. This has broken my heart."

It turned out that the rumors of a romance between Elizabeth Hurley and Shane Warne were true, as the pair began dating in 2010. Warne even proposed to Hurley during a trip to Scotland where their fellow diners reportedly stood and applauded. Unfortunately, this was yet another relationship that would be marred by infidelity.

The Aussie cricket player had a reputation for being a ladies' man, and it only worsened during his relationship with Hurley. Warne was caught sending steamy texts to Australian shopkeeper Adele Angeleri who claimed the relationship never went any further than flirting. Warne also allegedly cheated on Hurley with adult film star Chloe Conrad who told The Mirror, "If Liz thinks he has changed, she's sorely mistaken. On the night he was with Liz at the Bentley he was sending texts to me."

Hurley and Warne officially called it quits in 2013, and a source told Hello!, "Elizabeth is taking it one day at a time. She will always be extremely fond of Shane." Several years later, Warne expressed his regret over how he treated Hurley, telling The Mirror, "I miss the love we had. My years with Elizabeth were the happiest of my life."

In March of 2018, Elizabeth Hurley's nephew was the victim of a violent crime. 21-year-old Miles Hurley was out with a friend in London when he was brutally stabbed with a kitchen knife. The attack followed a minor traffic incident which led to Miles and his friend being chased down by a group of men who assaulted them. Luckily, Miles recovered, but his injuries were serious. "I had a guardian angel that night," he told Daily Mail. "I lost six pints of blood. The doctors thought I'd perforated my liver and clipped one of my major arteries. But everything they feared could have happened, didn't."

Elizabeth Hurley took to social media to share the news of the attack, telling her followers, "By some miracle no vital organs were damaged. We are praying that these animals are caught before they maim, or even kill, someone else. These are sad days" (via BBC). The police were unable to identify Miles' attackers, and eventually stopped searching. This upset his concerned aunt who feared they might strike again, and according to a source, Miles was still dealing with the aftermath of the incident in November of 2018. "Miles has spent a lot of time recovering and still has nightmares — so to be told there is nothing police can do is upsetting for everyone," the source shared with The Sun.

Elizabeth Hurley is an animal lover who has always been devoted to her beloved pooches. "The first thing I do when I wake up is kiss my dogs. All of whom sleep on top of me," the actor told The Standard. Naturally, Hurley was devastated when, in 2018, her two-year-old Labrador, Hector, was seriously injured when he was run over by a delivery driver.

Hurley's dog was hit by a van on a private road on her estate, and suffered a broken leg and a collapsed lung. Hurley's sister Katie was there at the time of the incident and said, "We thought we were going to lose him, it was just hideous." She added, "The vet came and thankfully saved his life, which is miraculous. We nearly lost him because of this man's appalling driving" (via Daily Mail). Initially, the delivery company denied responsibility, but eventually ended up paying Hector's vet bill which was a whopping £2,000.

In 2021, Elizabeth Hurley was still coming to terms with the death of her ex and father of her child, Steve Bing. Bing was a wealthy heir to a property empire who had amassed quite a fortune in the business world, and planned to leave a large sum of money to his children, Damian Hurley and Kira Bonder-Kerkorian. However, since both Damian and Kira were born out of wedlock, Bing's father, Peter, fought and won to alter the will. The trust fund would instead go to Bing's sister's children and, as a result, Kira and Damian lost access to up to $250 million. 

Hurley was shocked, not just because of the money at stake, but because her son had basically been disowned by his paternal grandfather. She also asserted that going against Bing's wishes was appalling. "When Stephen took his own life, he died thinking his children were going to be taken care of," she told Daily Mail. "What Stephen wanted has now been callously reversed," she added. "I know Stephen would have been devastated." Kira's mother, Lisa Bonder-Kerkorian, a tennis player with whom Bing was involved in 1997, took Hurley's side and was concerned for her own child as well. "In my estimation there's only one word to describe this, and that's greed," she told the Times.

In March 2022, Elizabeth Hurley's ex-fiance, Shane Warne, died of a heart attack while visiting Thailand. The sports world was in shock upon hearing the news, as Warne was a legendary cricket player and only 52 years old at the time of his passing. Although Hurley's romance with Warne was not built to last, she was devastated by the loss. The actor shared a touching tribute to her ex on Instagram, complete with a carousel of photos of the two and the caption, "I feel like the sun has gone behind a cloud forever. RIP my beloved Lionheart."

The Aussie cricket player left behind three children that he shared with his ex-wife, Simone Callahan; Brooke, Jackson, and Summer. In November of 2024, Hurley reunited with Warne's children during the Melbourne Cup Carnival, posing for pictures along with her own son, Damian. It was clear Hurley had become close with Warne's kids, especially bonding with Brooke and Summer. After the death of their father, Hurley shared her support and sent them a sweet message saying, "Your daddy loved you with all his heart!" (via Hello!).