Editing Hugh Grant (section)

=== Legal issues ===

[[File:Hugh-grant-mugshot.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Mugshot of Grant in 1995]]

On 27 June 1995, Grant was arrested in Los Angeles, California, in a police [[vice unit|vice]] operation near [[Sunset Boulevard]] for receiving [[fellatio|oral sex]] in a public place from [[Hollywood, Los Angeles, California|Hollywood]] prostitute [[Estella Marie Thompson|Divine Brown]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Suave, Charm and Good Looks: Why Would Hugh Grant Pay for Sex?|last=Wilson|first=Jeff|agency=Associated Press|date=27 June 1995}}</ref> He pleaded [[nolo contendre|no contest]] and was fined $1,180 by Judge [[Robert J. Sandoval]], was placed on two years' summary probation, and was ordered to complete an [[AIDS education]] program.<ref>{{cite news|title=Grant pays for his 'lewd conduct'|last=Moyes|page=1|first=Jojo|work=[[The Independent]]|date=12 July 1995}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=British actor pleads no contest to lewd conduct|work=[[Deutsche Presse-Agentur]]|date=12 July 1995}}</ref>

The arrest occurred about two weeks before the release of his first major studio film, ''[[Nine Months]]'', which he was scheduled to promote on several American television shows. ''[[The Tonight Show with Jay Leno]]'' had him booked for the same week.<ref>{{cite book|last=Sweeney|first=Don|title=Backstage at the Tonight Show: From Johnny Carson to Jay Leno|url=https://archive.org/details/backstageattonig00swee|url-access=registration|publisher=Taylor Trade Publishing|page=[https://archive.org/details/backstageattonig00swee/page/n229 210]|chapter=Tonight Show Hits the Road|date=June 2006|isbn=9781589793033}}</ref> In the much-watched interview, Grant did not make excuses for the incident after Leno asked him, "What the hell were you thinking?"<ref>{{cite news |title=Viewers still in Letterman's corner |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/TV/10/07/letterman.show.ratings/index.html |access-date=1 September 2022 |publisher=CNN|quote="Is this David Letterman's Hugh Grant moment?" In 1995, Jay Leno pulled ahead of Letterman in ratings thanks to his much-watched "What were you thinking?" interview with a contrite Hugh Grant.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Hugh-man interest lifts 'Leno' rating|last=Lowry|page=5|first=Brian|work=Variety|date=12 July 1995}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Grant confesses: No excuse for escapade |author=Kitty Bean Yancey, Jeannie Williams|page=1D|work=USA Today|date=11 July 1995}}</ref> Grant answered, "I think you know in life what's a good thing to do and what's a bad thing, and I did a bad thing. And there you have it."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/HughGrant/|title=Nine Months star Hugh Grant runs talk show gauntlet|publisher=CNN|date=11 July 1995|access-date=24 February 2007}}</ref>

On ''[[Larry King Live]]'', he declined host [[Larry King]]'s repeated invitations to probe his psyche, saying that [[psychoanalysis]] was "more of an American syndrome" and he himself was "a bit old fashioned".<ref>{{cite news|title=Hugh Grant Declines Interviewer's Invitation to Probe His Psyche|agency=Associated Press|date=12 July 1995}}</ref> He told the host: "I don't have excuses."<ref>{{cite episode|title=Hugh Grant Talks About His Arrest|series=Larry King Live|series-link=Larry King Live|credits=Interviewer: Larry King|network=CNN|air-date=12 July 1995}}</ref> [[CNN]] reported that "Many are also applauding Grant for his refreshing honesty in a culture that has become fed up with overuse of the word 'abuse,' but Grant did not resort to an excuse."<ref name="honesty" /> Radio host [[Scott Shannon]] said, "He went ahead and faced the music and handled it with tongue [in] cheek."<ref name="honesty">{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/HughGrant/|title=Hugh Grant finds "honesty" best policy|publisher=CNN|date=17 July 1995|access-date=24 February 2007}}</ref>

In April 2007, he was arrested on allegations of assault made by [[Paparazzi|paparazzo]] Ian Whittaker.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/6595297.stm|title=Hugh Grant arrested over 'attack'|publisher=BBC|access-date=1 October 2007|date=26 April 2007}}</ref> Grant made no official statement and did not comment on the incident.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUSL2652442420070426|title=Hugh Grant arrested over "baked beans attack"|work=Reuters|access-date=26 April 2007|date=26 April 2007}}</ref> Charges were dropped on 1 June 2007 by the [[Crown Prosecution Service]] on the grounds of "insufficient evidence".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/6714025.stm|title=No assault charges for Hugh Grant|publisher=BBC|date=1 June 2007|access-date=3 October 2007}}</ref>