Elizabeth Hurley talks about her need for normalcy
Moving to the country to escape the paparazzi-laden streets of London and taking an extended hiatus from the film industry are just some of the ways actress Elizabeth Hurley says she hopes she’s helping son Damian Charles, 6, to have a "normal as possible upbringing." Although she had to promise Damian a pony to convince him to switch to his new school "where 13-year-old girls play leapfrog instead of hanging out in a Starbucks," Elizabeth told Harper’s Bazaar it’s a small price to pay for normalcy.
I take him to school every day, and at least two out of five days, there will be a man on his knees outside our house, trying to get a picture of Damian’s face as he gets in the car. He can’t stand it. I can’t stand it…I mean, I just somehow couldn’t face a really London upbringing for Damian.
Elizabeth revealed that Damian’s father, Hollywood producer Stephen Bing, has no interaction with their son. Instead, Elizabeth’s husband Arun Nayar has been the constant male presence in Damian’s short life. Noted Elizabeth, who met Arun when Damian was 9-months old, "[Damian] has never known a day in his life without Arun." Another major force is Elizabeth’s ex-boyfriend Hugh Grant, with whom she has remained close; The 43-year-old actress said she wonders sometimes why the two, who dated for 13 years, never had children together.
Sometimes Hugh and I can get morbid and say we could have had five children by now, because we were together since I was 21. But there was never a time when either of us wanted it. So you can’t really regret that.
Source: Harper’s Bazaar; Photo by INFphoto.com.
- Posted on Jun 12, 08 at 7:12AM
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- 14 Comments
June 12th, 2008 at 7:29 am
She seems to have worked it out…all the best to her and her family.
June 12th, 2008 at 8:35 am
I am always impressed with men who stand by and love a single woman and her child. Especially when there is no involvement of the birth father. Kudos Arun and Seal. You are both real men in my book. In my eye Stephen Bing should be listed as sperm donor not as the father. It takes more then sperm to be a Dad. Kudos to the man that raised me as his daughter and I thank my sperm donor for letting me have the best Dad I could ever have.
June 12th, 2008 at 9:45 am
I really thought Hugh and her will end up together, but I am happy it all worked out, she is happily married with a child and remains really close with Hugh.
I, to this day, do not understand how some men can just not be intersted in their children, how can they not love them and just not be in their lives…I could not even imagine if I was not around to see my daughter grow up. Anyway..bravo for the real men that do love and take care of their children.
June 12th, 2008 at 10:41 am
Why, why WHY does she insist on dressing him like he’s the reincarnation of Little Lord Fauntleroy?
June 12th, 2008 at 12:01 pm
I applaud Liz! I won’t mention any names, but how many celebrity parents are there that are having huge, public battles despite their children’s best interest? Maybe some of these other former couples should have evaluated their priorities like Liz and Hugh did, before dragging children into their unfair media circus. All of this public, paparazzi laden mudslinging with have nothing but horrible results for these poor innocent children.
June 12th, 2008 at 2:54 pm
Liz seems like a nice lady
June 12th, 2008 at 3:05 pm
She had to promise him a pony to get him to switch schools? Yikes! Whatever happened to, “You’ll go to the school that we tell you to because we’re your parents…and you’re 6.”
June 12th, 2008 at 3:56 pm
I have always liked how Liz handled herself when Mr. Bing asked for a paternity test. Its what I would have done (no argument quickly moved on). I always feel for his parents, especially his mom, thanks to her son’s rudeness, she has no grandchildren to dote on (don’t know if he sees his daughter either) I haven’t seen his daughter, but Damian looks a lot like Mr. Bing. It must break his Mothers(Mr. Bings mom) heart to see these pictures. I agree with Bren bravo to Arun and all the good dads, happy fathers day!
June 12th, 2008 at 4:03 pm
I wonder how the little guy feels about that suit he is wearing?! =)
June 12th, 2008 at 4:40 pm
What is that kid wearing?
June 12th, 2008 at 10:48 pm
I wish my kind of normalcy involved bribing with ponies.
June 12th, 2008 at 10:53 pm
Damian is a little too old to be dressed like that. At two or three, but definately not now.
June 13th, 2008 at 5:00 am
If she’s bribing him with a pony at 6, where will she put the elephants when he’s 9?!!!
Have to say his hairstyle isn’t a hit with me, but that apart, I like this family and feel Elizabeth walks a good line between shielding her son and accepting the natural public interest in her and him.
June 17th, 2008 at 12:23 am
My daughter has never even met her father. He doesn’t want anything to do with her. His parents don’t want anything to do with his daughter either. So, i’m just guessing that Mr.Bing’s parents don’t care either. If they did they wouldn’t have raised such an unloving and uncaring child (mr. bing). At least that’s the way I feel about my daughter’s father. His parents are callous and selfish, so they raised a callous and selfish person.