Hugh Grant shocked the audience at AFI Fest on Thursday night by making a joke about his 1995 lewd conduct arrest while introducing his film Heretic.
The Notting Hill actor appeared at the TCL Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard alongside his co-stars Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East and co-directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods to unveil their new horror movie.
Taking to the podium to say a few words before the screening, Grant had the audience in uproarious laughter when he referenced his almost 30-year-old scandal.
“I have nothing interesting to add to that except that it is very nice to be here,” the 64-year-old star said. “Hollywood Boulevard has always been a lucky place for me.”
Woods doubled over with laughter while the crowd cheered and clapped. After a beat, Grant moved on to the subject at hand, saying, “It’s nice of AFI to have us. It’s nice of you to show up. It was nice of these girls to be so brilliant in the film. It was nice of these two weirdos to put me in it and nice of the producers to pay me so little. I hope you enjoy it.”
The British actor was arrested for lewd conduct on Sunset Boulevard on 27 June 1995 after police officers caught him receiving oral sex from sex worker Divine Brown in his car. He pleaded no contest to the charge and received a fine and two years of probation.
It’s not the first time Grant has referenced the scandal in recent years. He mentioned his indiscretion during an appearance on daytime show The View in March 2023 when he was asked about being an outspoken critic of the British tabloid press.
“Everyone thinks, ‘Oh, well he’s just bitter because he got arrested with a hooker in 1995.’ But actually, it had nothing to do with that because that was never uncovered by tabloids. It was that the b**ody police gave everyone the information. It was nothing to do with that,” he said, before giving a serious answer.
