Everybody is pretty much convinced that Hugh Grant’s baby-mama is Tinglan Hong, a woman he briefly dated earlier this year. Hugh’s rep only confirmed that Hugh was now a father, and that the affair was “fleeting” – but not the identity of the baby-mama. Once again, the rep said: “I can confirm that Hugh Grant is the delighted father of a baby girl. He and the mother had a fleeting affair and while this was not planned, Hugh could not be happier or more supportive. He and the mother have discussed everything and are on very friendly terms.” Translation: Hugh boned a girl that he was dating (not-exclusively) and she got pregnant and he was pissed about at first but now he just wants everybody to know he’s a good guy, and he’s still single and ready to mingle.

So, Tinglan Hong. She’s 32 years old, and a Chinese national who lives in London. The baby was allegedly born five weeks ago in London by C-section, and The Mail reports that Hugh was NOT there for the birth, but that he “is said to have spent around half an hour with her the following day before heading to Scotland to play in a golf tournament.” The golf tournament lasted four days, and Hugh was there all four days – and it was the same Scottish tournament where Liz Hurley and Shane Warne got engaged – suspicious, right? Hugh comes in and says “I’m a father! Wow.” And Liz is all, “Well, Shane and I are engaged, damn it. TELL HIM SHANE.” The Mail also reports that Hugh and Tinglan began dating in January, and the relationship “petered out soon after she fell pregnant.” I’ll bet. Apparently, Hugh has also purchased a fancy new apartment for her and the baby too. Here’s more:

Hugh Grant has set up the mother of his baby daughter in a £1.2 million house little more than a mile from his home. The terrace property in Fulham was bought by a cousin of the film star in July, three months before Chinese ‘actress’ Tinglan Hong gave birth.

Grant, who has been filming in Berlin, paid a surprise visit to mother and daughter last night. Arriving at around 7.30pm in a Ferrari, he said: ‘I have a 24-hour break from filming in Germany. I have come back to protect my baby.’

He left after spending an hour inside with Tinglan and the child, whose birth on September 26 has yet to be registered.

Little more than a year ago, 31-year-old Tinglan was living in a tiny rented flat in suburban New Malden, Surrey. Her new home was bought for £1,175,000 by Grant’s cousin Flora Hood, wife of Henry, the 8th Viscount Hood and Personal Lord in Waiting to the Queen. Tinglan moved into the house soon afterwards as she prepared to give birth to 51-year-old Grant’s daughter at the private Portland Hospital in Central London.

Grant claims his relationship with Tinglan – who now drives a £40,000 Mercedes and wears designer clothes including £500 Christian Louboutin shoes – was a ‘fleeting romance’.

It has nevertheless propelled the girl brought up in the Zhejiang province of Eastern China into one of the most exclusive social sets in London. Grant is close to cousin Flora who lives an imposing three-storey town house in Notting Hill, the backdrop to one of the star’s most famous films. Last year he donated £10,000 to Flora’s JustGiving fundraising site when she ran the London marathon. Nigella Lawson was another donor offering £200 while Camilla Soames donated £100. Flora declined to comment last night when asked whether she had bought the house on Grant’s behalf.

Tinglan’s romantic relationship with Grant might be over but his spokesman insists the star will be a ‘supportive’ father. The actor, who is estimated to be worth £40million, started dating Tinglan in January when they were seen kissing at a pub in Kensington near his £3million home. Grant is regularly seen with dates in the bars of Kensington and Chelsea but friends say he had hoped to keep the relationship secret.

Tinglan was described at the time as an actress but she is not listed on the film database IMDB and there are no traceable records of her participating in any television or film projects.

A friend said: ‘He is a bit of a sad character, and Ting seemed to be filling a void in his life – telling him all the time that he was wonderful.’

At the time they were seeing each other Tinglan was aware Grant was seeing other women. In April, the couple were photographed at a fashionable Vietnamese cocktail bar near his home but Tinglan – by then pregnant – was not drinking. The couple appeared awkward together and in deep conversation.

Legally, the baby’s birth must be registered by next Monday. The new mother was wearing dark sunglasses when she left her new home in her silver Mercedes CLK yesterday to buy the day’s newspapers. Friends of Tinglan in China have told how she allowed the star to call all the shots in their relationship.

One said: ‘When she was dating Hugh Grant, he was still dating other women. She knew that and she accepted it. She was subservient to Hugh during their relationship. Every time they met, she would choose the most convenient place for Hugh.’

Tinglan is understood to have grown up in Lishui in China’s Zhejiang province, where her mother was a successful businesswoman. On Chinese language websites her school friends tell of a fun-loving, rebellious student who left her well-to-do family behind to seek a new life in England. One friend said she was pretty and confident, standing out from her conservative fellow students with her ‘weird clothes’ and hair dyed in different colours.

Neighbours at Tinglan’s old flat in New Malden remember her as a girl who enjoyed a good social life. One said: ‘Cars would turn up late at night and drop her off – you used to see Mercedes and Bentleys turning up at all hours. Once she was in her flat, you might not see her again for a couple of days.’

Hugh Grant is a major star in China, where his inoffensive romantic comedies cause no difficulties for Communist Party censors and are massively popular, particularly among women. However as news of Tinglan’s relationship with the actor spread across Chinese blogs yesterday, most fans were disapproving.

‘Elizabeth Hurley is such a fantastic woman and even she couldn’t keep hold of Hugh Grant so what chance does a plain Chinese girl have?’ wrote one blogger.

Another said: ‘Hugh is a playboy who needs his freedom. He can’t stay with one woman.’

[From The Mail]

So, basically, Tinglan was looking for a rich guy and she found one and she got knocked up in hurry, but we shouldn’t feel like Hugh got “trapped” or anything because he’s kind of sad and he just wants a lady around him who will stroke his ego and tell him how brilliant he is. Sigh… Hugh’s kind of d-bag, right? And Tinglan doesn’t sound like a prize either. Team Baby.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

This might be one of the most random pieces of gossip ever. Or at least this week. According to Us Weekly, Hugh Grant, the British version of George Clooney, is now a first-time father. What’s bizarre is that Us Weekly seems to have gotten the scoop of this (meaning a wink and a nop from Hugh’s rep), BUT – we have no idea who the mother is, if Hugh adopted or if he just knocked up some girl. Here’s Us Weekly’s report:

Forget any weddings or a funeral — Hugh Grant has a baby to tend to!

The British actor, 51, became a dad for the first time, welcoming a baby girl in early October, a source close to Grant tells Us Weekly exclusively.

Reps could not be reached for comment.

The identity of the baby’s mom has not yet been revealed; back in April, Grant was romantically linked to stunning Chinese actress Tinglan Hong.

“He’s going to be a great dad!” the source tells Us. “He’s beaming about his daughter. He’s not with the mum anymore but he’s absolutely thrilled.”

In 2007, Grant told Vogue he was ready to be a father. “As much as I adore myself, I’m quite keen to find someone else to care about more,” he said. “I remember reading a Warren Beatty quote when he finally had children and said what a relief it was to not be all me, me, me.”

Although the About a Boy actor has never been married, he famously dated fellow Brit Elizabeth Hurley for 13 years before parting amicably in 2000.

He and British writer and socialite Jemima Kahn dated from 2004 to 2007.

[From Us Weekly]

Well, this explains why Liz Hurley is looking so eager to be moving on with Shane Warne. Usually, she always has Hugh as a back-up (as in, she knows she could always get back with him, worse comes to worst). As for Hugh and just HOW he’s become a father – my guess is that he knocked up some sort-of girlfriend. Don’t hold me to that! My instinct is that this is more Jude Law than Kristin Davis, you know? Hugh probably didn’t adopt because he felt a paternal urge, he more likely “accidentally” impregnated some random.

Oh, update! Gossip Cop talked to his rep, who said: “I can confirm that Hugh Grant is the delighted father of a baby girl. He and the mother had a fleeting affair and while this was not planned, Hugh could not be happier or more supportive. He and the mother have discussed everything and are on very friendly terms.” Haha, my instincts were so dead on, right?

That being said, congrats to Hugh! (Is anyone else surprised he hasn’t had a vasectomy? I am. I bet he goes for it now.)

Photos courtesy of WENN.

A few months ago, we covered the unfortunate report that a third Bridget Jones’s Diary movie was on the way, thanks to the fact that Bridesmaids director Paul Feig was inexplicably interested in helming the project. Like many of you expressed in the comments section, I was utterly distraught at this news and couldn’t understand why either author Helen Fielding or the movie studio could justify the further desecration of the formerly lovable Bridget, who was transformed in the second movie, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, from an exhilarating heroine to a relatively idiotic buffoon in eternal pursuit of Mark Darcy’s almighty marriage proposal. To make matters worse, the second movie also shoehorned in some silly plot where the Rebecca character awkwardly planted a kiss on Bridget, which was just a shameless attempt to add some “lesbian controversy” into an otherwise vanilla sequel. What I’m trying to say is this — clearly, the first movie was lightning and couldn’t possibly strike twice with the same degree of charm.

At any rate, when the new rumors popped up a few months ago, I was discouraged but also of the firm belief that Colin Firth (and his demanding post-Oscar schedule) would step up and save the day, for he would be the only person who could possibly keep this third movie from happening. Unfortunately, I was wrong, and Colin himself has given EW some new details that are even worse than you could have imagined. Apparently, Mark Darcy is shooting blanks:

It’s finally time to re-open the diary: Bridget Jones is returning to the big screen.

EW has confirmed exclusively that Working Title Films, the production company responsible for the first movie released in 2001 and the second one dubbed The Edge of Reason in 2004, is moving ahead with a third installment. Based at Universal, Working Title has been mulling a sequel since 2009.

No other details were available, but last year, Bridget costar Colin Firth, who plays lovable Mark Darcy, told EW’s Dave Karger some details about a possible plot. “I can tell you that Bridget and Mark can’t have children, I think that’s the way it goes on,” Firth told Karger, who was reporting for Access Hollywood. “So then she makes the huge mistake of going back to Daniel Cleaver [Hugh Grant's character] for long enough to get pregnant. And I think he dumps her, and she’s left stranded, and guess who comes back to rescue her?”

The movies are based on Helen Fielding’s novel of the same name and starred Renee Zellweger as Bridget. The first film was an international hit, taking in a reported $281 million. The second was crucified by the critics but still raked in $262 million worldwide.

Earlier this year, the London Evening Standard reported that Fielding had begun writing the third installment of the best-selling books. At the time, she said there had been discussions about the next film. “I will be working on both the book and the film but I don’t know if they are the same thing yet. It’s not been decided.”

[From EW.com]

Alright, now that Colin has deserted us, maybe Hugh Grant can put the brakes on this nonsense? After all, Hugh, who is very busy and important, has been quite occupied whilst saving the whole of England (and Americans too) from the NOTW wiretapping scandal. As for Renee, she has no choice but to jump on this ill-fated ship because she’s got no other future projects lined up in the immediate future. Maybe we’ll get lucky and she won’t want to leave John Stamos’ side, but that’s a very remote possibility.

You know what wouldn’t be a totally awful prospect though? Scrap the entire plot that Firth described and just make the entire story about Shazzer (I love that mouthy bitch) with brief interludes of a floppy-haired Daniel Cleaver and a stammering Mark Darcy running through in a homoerotic daze. Because, honestly, I want to capitulate at the thought of Mark “saving” a teary-eyed, pregnant Bridget and have no further desire to see Daniel’s womanizing baby hit upon his own mum.

Photos courtesy of Fame and AllMoviePhoto

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Hugh Grant and his grumpy hotness were on the Today Show yesterday to discuss the massive News Corp phone tapping scandal that rocked England and led to the voluntary shutdown of tabloid News of The World. Hugh was one of the first celebrities to draw attention to the issue when he caught a paparazzo on tape bragging about how NOTW had regularly hacked into famous people’s phones to gain leads for stories. Minor details of the scandal were known for some time, and there wasn’t much public outcry about it as people don’t tend to have a lot of sympathy for politicians or the rich and famous. Then the news came out that the scandal went much deeper, and that journalists and private investigators hired by the paper had violated the phones of crime victims, including a missing 13 year-old teenager, families of fallen soldiers and terrorist bombing victims. It was despicable, and the eventual result was a government inquiry and now the arrest of several key executives at News of the World.

In his interview with The Today Show, Matt Lauer asked Hugh why Americans should be concerned about this scandal. He reminded him that News Corp head Rupert Murdoch owns Fox News, 20th Century Fox movie studio and newspapers like the NY Post and The Wall St. Journal. What’s more is that there’s suspicion that victims of the 9/11 tragedy had their phones tapped too.

Wednesday morning on TODAY, Grant spoke with Matt Lauer about the culture of the tabloid press in the U.K., telling Lauer that until the peak of the scandal, when it was revealed the phone of a 13-year-old murder victim was hacked, people believed the paper’s methods were business as usual, and perhaps a justifiable means to an end, so long as the story sold.

“Yeah, that was the culture and still is to a certain extent within the tabloid press in this country. It’s terrifying and if you want to question why didn’t we do anything about it before, the answers are now emerging,” Grant said.

“The police unfortunately deliberately dragged their feet … and the government were equally terrified of him (Murdoch),” Grant said. “He had the power through his papers to get them elected, and his paper knew dirty details about individual MPs (Members of Parliament) and so they were unwilling ever to take him on. Only three weeks ago, all our major politicians were sucking up to Rupert Murdoch and drinking champagne on his lawn at his summer party. It’s almost comic that today they’re almost competing to say terrible words about him.”

Grant did tread more lightly when Lauer asked how concerned those of us in the United States should be about the scandal. However, the actor did say that there’s good reason to question Murdoch here as well.

“I don’t know the answer to that,” he told Lauer. However, “Rupert Murdoch does own an enormous amount of your media, with Fox news and stations, and 20th Century Fox, and some of your newspapers. I think people need to ask themselves, ‘Who is this man who owns such a large part of our media?’”

Ultimately, this story will come down to the issue of blame. In addition to those directly involved at News of the World, should we, the consumers of the news gathered by whatever means possible, shoulder the blame as well? Grant thinks so.
“I think we have to, yeah. It’s a strange business, isn’t it? The speciality of tabloids like that is to find the most common denominator and work out sort of, our worst instincts, and purvey for them and unfortunately they do it extremely well and we are all guilty of falling for that.”

[From The Today Show]

Maybe I’m alone, but Grant still does it for me. He’s older sure but he’s owning it and isn’t getting all jacked to hell like his ex’s latest boytoy. You could tell that Grant got a kick out of recounting how the MPs were partying and drinking with Murdoch up until the latest news broke about how NOTW tapped victims’ phones. He’s had plenty of issues with paparazzi and the tabloid press and he’s having his day now.

As for how this affects the US, Senators are calling for an investigation as to whether 9/11 victims had their phone tapped too. Families of victims are outraged and upset over this potential breach, which brings up so many bad memories for them.

Also, bribes given by News Corp employees to British law enforcement sources may violate US laws prohibiting US employees from paying bribes abroad. Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NY) asked the Securities and Exchange commission and Department of Justice to launch an investigation as to whether this was the case. The parent organization of NOTW, News Corp, is a US company.

Maybe this will put a big dent into Murdoch’s media empire. One can only hope.

Update: Thanks to Gloaming for this video of Hugh Grant on BBC News along with the journalist from NOTW he exposed a few months ago. Hugh is awesome.

Hugh Grant is shown on 7/4/11. The dude looks a lot happier lately. Credit: WENN.com

As far as romantic comedies go, Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001) is one of my very favorites of the genre. However, I’m one of those movie fans who also like to pretend that Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004) never happened at all. In comparison to the exhilaration of the lovable heroine (perfectly embodied by Renee Zellweger) from the first movie, the sequel was a complete letdown to watch her transformed into a buffoon pursuing the ever-conditional marriage proposal from Mark Darcy. Quite simply, the second movie sought to replicate several key scenes from the first one (including that glorious street fight between Hugh Grant’s Daniel Cleaver and Colin Firth’s Darcy) but merely turned into a parody of the first movie. Honestly, I could go on for days about that injustice; but instead, I’ll just complain about an even worse and very likely prospect.

For the past few years, we’ve heard lots of buzzing about a potential third installment to the Bridget Jones franchise. At first, these rumors were easily dismissed, since the second movie disappointed so many Bridget fans; but now, this nightmare could indeed come to fruition, for there’s a script and a director with cred who is “beyond keen” to work on the project:

The film-maker behind the summer’s surprise success, Bridesmaids, is in the early stages of discussions about getting Bridget Jones back into her outsized pants for a third instalment of the film comedy starring Renee Zellweger.

Paul Feig, who told me he’s “beyond keen” to make a movie in London, is in the middle of very complex negotiations about making Bridget 3.

The status of the film at the moment is purely rumour because no deals involving Feig — or the film’s stars Renee, Colin Firth and Hugh Grant — have been sorted out.

An executive in Los Angeles, who is close to one of the film’s participants, told me that negotiations have been fragile because Feig and the cast have other projects; and then there are the usual problems of schedules and money.

I was told that the film-maker, the actors and the studios (Working Title and Focus) are close to agreement on important matters relating to the film, but not close enough for anyone to sign on a dotted line.

Helen Fielding, who created the Bridget Jones’s Diary column in a national newspaper, has written a script for Bridget Jones 3 that features her heroine hoping to become pregnant. But which bloke will be the daddy? Love-rat Daniel Cleaver, played by Grant, or Mark Darcy, the man who loves her just the way she is, played by Firth.

Oscar-winner Firth has indicated that if the script makes sense he’d been interested in reprising his role. Feig is just the man to bring them all together. He knows how to direct comedy and he knows how to be funny.

[From Daily Mail]

Why? Nobody (except perhaps the film studio) wants this third movie to happen at all. Wait, I take that back, for Renee Zellweger may be interested in reprising her role because she doesn’t have much going on professionally at the moment. Yet I honestly can’t see her wanting to gain weight (she’s so fit these days) to play Bridget once again. While they might be able to talk Hugh into coming back as well, Colin Firth is another story altogether. With his newly minted Oscar, Colin’s being pursued by any number of studios for other movies; so if anyone he can put the brakes on this impending disaster, it would be him. Colin Firth, you’re our only hope.

Photos courtesy of Fame and AllMoviePhoto

This news came out yesterday, but there are more details today and I couldn’t resist covering it. Apparently Hugh Grant was in talks with Two and a Half Men producers to step in and take the kind of playboy devil-may-care role that was formerly occupied by addict wordsmith Charlie Sheen. As Kaiser wrote in the links, this was a genius idea and a potential win-win that would help this lucrative sitcom continue on with another high profile lead. Grant has been starring in some sh*t movies lately (have you seen Did You Hear About The Morgans?, I did and just for Grant) and his film career has stalled but he still has star power. Unfortunately talks are said to have broken down over the intense work commitment involved, but I’m hoping that he’ll reconsider or that someone leaked this news to gauge interest. With Grant in this show, I’d definitely watch it despite the corny jokes. I still own Four Weddings and a Funeral on VHS. (shameface)

We hear that the idea of Hugh Grant as a replacement for Charlie Sheen in Two And A Half Men was first pitched to CBS boss Les Moonves and CBS entertainment president Nina Tassler about a month ago. After a couple of weeks sorting out the Sheen lawsuit fallout, the two execs blessed the plan and Grant was approached by the producers at Warner Bros. We hear Hugh flew in and had 2 creative meetings. Things were progressing and he had all but a completed deal when he backed out unexpectedly. ‘It was not the money. He didn’t want to do TV because those 24 episodes are a grind and a lot of work. At the end he couldn’t get his head around doing a series.” Another insider tells us that, if Grant committed, “the show could have gotten another 3 to 4 more seasons”.

[From Deadline Hollywood]

Initial reports had Grant being offered $1 million an episode, although Deadline has updated with the news that “Warner Bros sources are now saying it was not that much.” The guy has a complicated relationship with fame, and doesn’t like to be in the spotlight at all. He’s been in altercations with paparazzi and recently audiotaped a conversation with a paparazzo after getting him to open up about News of The World routinely bugging celebrities.

I would bet that Grant was just as daunted by the pressure of helming a big series as by the work commitment. Plus, rumor has it that his girlfriend is expecting a baby. (Which could be patently untrue, but still.) It’s a shame, because he’s a fine actor and I’ve missed seeing him on the big screen. I’d watch any crap movie he was in, including a crap show.

Hugh Grant is shown on 5/9/11. Credit: WENN.com

I think I knew at one point that Hugh Grant and Jemima Khan had broken up, but I honestly can’t remember. Hugh and Jemima were a lot like Hugh and Liz Hurley – they broke up several times, but still managed to get back together or at least be friendly enough that you thought they were still together. Incidentally, Liz and Jemima look startlingly similar – busty brunettes with great figures, similar facial structure, sort of haughty and naughty at the same time. Anyway, as it turns out, Hugh and Jemima have been done for a while, and now British tabloids are saying Hugh has been with a Chinese girl for months… and the girl might be knocked up! SCANDAL.

He’s a renowned commitment phobic ladies’ man, but Hugh Grant seems to have been keeping a secret girlfriend, who may finally tie down the star. The 50-year-old actor has been snapped with 31-year-old Tinglan Hong, who has reportedly been sporting a mystery bump. The Chinese beauty has now sparked rumours that she might be pregnant with Grant’s child, according to the News Of The World.

Hugh and Ting were photographed together last week and have allegedly been dating since January, after meeting each other last year. Ting was seen visiting the About A Boy actor at his £3 million home in West London on Thursday. She then jumped in his £140,000 Ferrari and the couple drove off into the night, according to the tabloid. They were said to have visited a Vietnamese cocktail bar during their date and onlookers saw them deep in serious conversation.

Although Ting’s possible pregnancy is only speculation, Hugh recently spoke out about his desire to start a family. As he turned 50 last year, he said in an interview: ‘I should settle down… It’s all my fault. I’ve had some lovely girlfriends. Everyone asks me all the time, particularly women, whether I’m going to have children. I think it would be a good idea. And I wish I had them already. I think it’s a part of life and I should have it. I don’t want to be 70 and alone. I want children to look after me.’

The multi-millionaire has previously dated Elizabeth Hurley for 13 years and Jemima Khan for three years, but has avoided marriage at all costs. But perhaps Miss Hong might be the one to tame Grant, and the actor has previously revealed his attraction to Eastern girls. He said last year after a visit to China: ‘I must say I’m very charmed by Chinese women so far. I’ve been here only 24 hours, but I’ve fallen in love four times.’

MailOnline have contacted Hugh Grant’s publicist for comment and is awaiting a reply.

[From The Mail]

Yeah… it’s probably crap, although there are photos of Hugh and Tinglan – you can see them here. I can’t make out a bump or anything, they’re dark and grainy. I also think it’s interesting that this report seems to have originated from News of the World, just a short time after Hugh Grant secretly taped a former (?) News of the World paparazzo/journalist who admitted to all of this crazy crap the British tabloids do and did on a regular basis. Is this payback? Who does payback by reporting some random story that a single bachelor impregnated his younger Chinese girlfriend? I mean, it’s interesting, but it’s not a scandal. I could come up with a better “gotcha” story. Hugh, a Chinese girl, heroin import-export, and a goat. How’s that?!? By the way, if you want to read Hugh’s article about how he bugged the buggers (as it were), go here. It’s a great read.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

It’s safe to say that Hugh Grant has some issues with the paparazzi. In just the past few years, he’s hauled off and thumped one over the head with a tub of baked beans as well as kicking a photog in the crotch seemingly just for giggles. To be utterly fair, Grant’s got a pretty understandable reason to dislike the tabloids and their paps, for he was one of the thousands of public figures targeted within the huge wiretapping scandal involving the Rupert Murdoch-owned News of the World and The Sun. That particular scandal went down a couple of years ago, and it’s such a huge mess that we’ll probably not see the end of it for quite some time.

Hugh’s story picks up a few months ago when he was merrily driving along in his Ferrari (he calls it “my midlife crisis car”) and broke down on the side of the road. Shortly thereafter, a bloke stopped to help him but then pulled out a long-lens camera and commenced snapping away. At some point, Hugh realizes that this guy is Paul McMullan, a former News of the World pap and one of the key whistleblowers in the aforementioned wiretapping scandal. McMullan now bides his time running a pub, but that certainly didn’t stop him from selling the photos and story about finding a broken-down Hugh to the Daily Mail.

Hugh then later contacted McMullan and, unbeknownst to the former pap, recorded their conversation, which is now published in New Statesmen for all to see. Amongst many other revelations recorded by Hugh, McMullan actually thanks Hugh for breaking down on the side of the road and helping him make £3000 for the story, and also for being “a very good earner” for him in the past. McMullan goes on to claim that, in the past, Daily Mail was also just as bad about tapping cell phones as the two tabloids that got popped in the wiretapping scandal. He also bemoans the fact that the days of analogue mobiles have since passed, for that was a time when it was incredibly easy to use a cheap scanner and record the full phone conversations of Princess Di, Prince Charles, and the like. The entire article details a rather riveting discussion, which is well worth reading in full, but here are some relevant excerpts pertaining to McMullan’s former employ under NOTW:

Grant: Murdoch, yes . . .
McMullan: So I was sent to do a feature on Moulin Rouge! at Cannes, which was a great send anyway. Basically my brief was to see who Nicole Kidman was shagging – what she was doing, poking through her bins and get some stuff on her. So Murdoch’s paying her five million quid to big up the French and at the same time paying me £5.50 to f*ck her up . . . So all hail the master. We’re just pawns in his game. How perverse is that?

Grant: I suppose the fact that they’re dragging their feet while investigating a mass of phone-hacking – which is a crime – some people would think is a bit depressing about the police.
McMullan: But then – should it be a crime? I mean, scanning never used to be a crime. Why should it be? You’re transmitting your thoughts and your voice over the airwaves. How can you not expect someone to just stick up an aerial and listen in?
Grant: I’d rather no one listened in, to be honest. And I might not be alone there. You probably wouldn’t want people listening to your conversations.
McMullan: I’m not interesting enough for anyone to want to listen in.
Grant: But celebrities you would justify because they’re rich?
McMullan: Yeah. I mean, if you don’t like it, you’ve just got to get off the stage. It’ll do wonders.
Grant: So I should have given up acting?
McMullan: If you live off your image, you can’t really complain about someone . . .
Grant: I live off my acting. Which is different to living off your image.
Him Yeah, but you’re still presenting yourself to the public. And if the public didn’t know you . . .
Grant: They don’t give a sh*t. I got arrested with a hooker and they still came to my films. They don’t give a f*&@ about your public image. They just care about whether you’re in an entertaining film or not.
McMullan: That’s true . . . I have terrible difficulty with him [points to pap shot of Johnny Depp]. He’s really difficult. You know, I was in Venice and he was a nightmare to do because he walks around looking like Michael Jackson. And the punchline was . . . after leading everyone a merry dance the film was shot on an open balcony – I mean, it was like – he was standing there in public.
Grant: And you don’t see the difference between the two situations?
McMullan: You can’t hide all the time.
Grant: So you’re saying, if you’re Johnny Depp or me, you don’t deserve to have a private life?
McMullan: You make so much more money. You know, most people in Dover take home about £200 and struggle.

[From New Statesman]

All of these admissions essentially speak for themselves, and the paparazzo comes off looking like a huge douche. Of course celebrities (especially those like Johnny Depp, who would never sell wedding photos to a tabloid) don’t deserve to have their private conversations targeted by hackers. The argument always exists whether people who purposely seek out fame even deserve privacy, and to a degree, they necessarily give some of it up by not being able to walk down a street without having their photograph taken. And of course, they shouldn’t be stupid enough in this day and age to put nude photos on their cell phones, but they don’t deserve to be hacked.

Photos are from September and December, 2010 and March, 2011. Credit: WENN.com

So I thought it would be cute to use some older photos of Liz Hurley and Hugh Grant to illustrate this story about how Liz homewrecked her own marriage to Arun Nayar, and how Hugh Grant has already “stopped by” Liz’s house to pay his respects (with his dong). Anyway, as I was looking through the old photos, I was transported to a time when they were a seriously hot couple. The photo of Hugh’s hand on Liz’s leather-clad ass is my favorite, I think. Anyway, yes, Hugh has stopped by, and Liz has already done a round of post-split photo ops (see here at The Mail) – and surprisingly enough, the British tabloids aren’t really smearing her. Yet. Probably because they know she’s good for scandal, and because everyone secretly wants her back with Hugh anyway.

There are some new developments in Liz and Arun’s marriage drama. According to British sources, they are set to do a “quickie divorce” and neither Liz nor Arun will be asking for financial support from the other. Arun’s family has allegedly cut off Arun for the most part, so Liz walks away from the marriage with more money, maybe. A source says: “’It will be an amicable settlement with no party giving out large portions of money to anybody. Liz doesn’t want Arun’s money and neither is Arun interested in her wealth.” Also: apparently, Liz called the Nayar family in India to personally apologize for being a dirty whore with the Australian Paris Hilton, Shane Warne. Another source says: “’Liz was very matter-of-fact. She just said that there are certain irreparable differences between her and Arun and that she intends to separate from him. She also said that she’s sorry.” I’m sure that call was AMAZING. Anyway, the American tabloids are getting into it too – Us Weekly has a report that Liz’s “we separated months ago” story wasn’t the whole truth:

Elizabeth Hurley’s marital drama isn’t quite over yet. After the model-turned-actress, 45, was photographed kissing Australian cricket player Shane Warne, 41, she Tweeted that she and businessman hubby of three years Arun Nayar had “separated a few months ago.” (Warne made a similar announcement about his marriage shortly after.)

But a source tells UsMagazine.com the split wasn’t exactly that clean.

“They had been having marriage problems for some time, but Arun wasn’t prepared to give up so easily,” says the insider. “Liz, on the other hand, gave up and didn’t tell her husband. Instead she went out and found someone else and then broke the news to him. He is gutted.”

Behind the breakup? “He wanted children so badly,” says the insider, while Hurley, who had son Damian with Steve Bing in 2002, “didn’t want to go through the pain of IVF. Liz doesn’t compromise, everything was her way or no way.”

Now, says the source, Nayar is scared he won’t be able to see Hurley’s son. “He doesn’t want to lose Damian,” says the insider. “They are so close — he is ‘Daddy’ to Damian. And he’s embarrassed that his marriage fell apart so publicly. He feels Liz intentionally humiliated him.”

As for Hurley’s new romance, “It’s a rebound,” sniffs the insider. “They’ll be over before you know it.”

[From Us Weekly]

Of course Liz and Shane have to be over soon. Liz and Hugh FOREVER. But seriously, as I was looking through the old photos, there are so many of Hugh and Liz hanging out post-breakup (their breakup), and lots of Hugh hanging out with Damien, his godson. THIS is why Hugh hasn’t been able to “settle down” with a woman since Liz (although he did last a while with Liz-lookalike Jemima Khan). Because he and Liz still live in each other’s pockets, so to speak. Another way to say it? They’re still stuck up each other’s asses.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

I am a fan of Hugh Grant. To be more specific, I am a fan of Hugh Grant’s work with Richard Curtis, and in About A Boy, and on the Bridget Jones movies, where I think Hugh is probably playing a version of himself. I think Hugh should just stick to those kinds of well-written romantic comedies, just because he’s very good when something is well-written and funny. He’s not very good when the writing is bad, or when it’s not a comedy. But, within narrow parameters, Hugh is pretty awesome. I own many of those DVDs, and I’ve listened to the commentaries on a few of them. Love, Actually is a favorite DVD commentary, just because it’s as funny as the movie. Hugh is sitting around with Richard Curtis and a few of the other cast members, and whenever Colin Firth comes on-screen, Hugh trash-talks him.

So I had always thought the Firth-Grant “feud” was just something silly and fun, a way to promote the Bridget Jones movies. But it might be real! Oh, happy day. The Telegraph reports that Hugh was offered the role of King George VI in the soon-to-be released film, The King’s Speech. When Hugh passed, they went to Colin Firth, and it now looks like Colin will be in strong contention for the Best Actor Oscar for his portrait of the stuttering, decent, humble king who led his nation during World War II. And Hugh is pissed!

Hugh Grant is believed to have turned down the role in The King’s Speech that may win an Oscar for his rival actor Colin Firth.

Colin Firth’s role in The King’s Speech may win him an Oscar, but it is unlikely to improve his antagonistic relationship with Hugh Grant.

Grant, 50, who played the rival of Firth, also 50, in the Bridget Jones films, is understood to have turned down the role of George VI, but now bitterly regrets his decision.

“Hugh is kicking himself,” claims an associate. “He realises that the king’s struggle to overcome his speech impediment would have been a wonderful part, particularly as viewers would have recalled Hugh’s stuttering in Four Weddings and a Funeral.”

The actor’s last film was the romantic “comedy” Did You Hear About the Morgans?

“Watching his performance, you realise that Grant has already given up on acting,” one critic remarked.

[From The Telegraph]

Is this interesting gossip? It is, it really is. But I don’t think it’s true. I just can’t see how Hugh would have been anyone’s first choice to play King George – he’s not that strong a dramatic actor, and beyond that, Colin Firth looks more like King George, and Colin’s career is in a much better place right now. I think this may be crap, but it’s still fun. Plus, from what I’ve read about Hugh, he turns down almost everything because he hates working so much. So it’s possible he got the script at some point and passed on it without realizing that he wasn’t really the first choice, maybe?

Here’s the trailer for The King’s Speech:

Photos courtesy of Bauer-Griffin.