There aren’t many figures from the 1990s who still command as much public curiosity as Elizabeth Hurley. Whether it’s her decades-long reign as a model, her blockbuster film roles, or her very public personal life, she remains a fixture in entertainment headlines. This article answers the most-asked questions about Hurley’s biography, relationships, wealth, and how she’s maintained her relevance into 2025.

Full name: Elizabeth Jane Hurley ·
Born: 10 June 1965 ·
Occupation: Actress, model, swimwear designer ·
Known for: Austin Powers films, Estée Lauder campaigns ·
Net worth (est.): $50 million (IMDb News, 2025) ·
Instagram followers: 3 million+ (as of 2025)

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
2What’s unclear
  • Whether she is currently in a serious relationship
  • Exact reason for ending Estée Lauder contract in 2013
  • Current smoking habits
  • Details of any cosmetic procedures
3Timeline signal
  • 1987: Met Hugh Grant
  • 2000: Split with Grant
  • 2005: Founded swimwear line
  • 2025: Turned 60 on 10 June
4What’s next
  • Public appearances around her 60th birthday
  • Potential new film or TV projects
  • Ongoing management of Elizabeth Hurley Beach

Eight key facts about Elizabeth Hurley, one pattern: her career has been sustained by high-visibility relationships as much as by acting roles.

The table below lays out the core biographical details that define her public profile.

Attribute Value
Full name Elizabeth Jane Hurley
Date of birth 10 June 1965
Place of birth Basingstoke, Hampshire, England
Nationality British
Occupation Actress, model, businesswoman
Years active 1987–present
Children 1 son (Damian Hurley)
Notable relationships Hugh Grant (1987–2000), Arun Nayar (2007–2011)

The implication: Hurley’s biography is a study in how a carefully managed public narrative — blending glamour, business, and selective privacy — keeps an audience interested for decades.

Who Is Elizabeth Hurley’s Current Partner?

Relationship status as of 2025

  • As of early 2025, Elizabeth Hurley is not publicly confirmed to be in a serious relationship. Recent reports have not identified a steady partner.
  • A Wikipedia infobox briefly listed Billy Ray Cyrus as her partner beginning in 2025, but this appears to be based on fan edits rather than credible reporting (Wikipedia). No major outlet has confirmed a romantic link between the two.

Past partners: Hugh Grant and others

  • Her most famous relationship was with actor Hugh Grant, which lasted from 1987 to 2000 (Marie Claire Australia).
  • She married Indian businessman Arun Nayar in 2007 after meeting him in 2003; the couple divorced in 2011 (People).
  • She was also engaged to Australian cricketer Shane Warne from 2011 to 2013 (WhosDatedWho).
The trade-off

Hurley’s romantic history has been both a spotlight and a liability: each high-profile relationship drives media coverage, but the lack of a current confirmed partner feeds persistent rumor speculation that no official statement has resolved.

The pattern: Hurley’s romantic life is her most consistent source of public fascination, yet she has largely refrained from commenting on her current status, leaving a vacuum that rumor fills.

Why Did Hugh Grant Split with Elizabeth Hurley?

Timeline of Hugh Grant and Elizabeth Hurley

  • 1987: Hurley met Hugh Grant on the set of a student film.
  • May 2000: The couple separated after 13 years together (Marie Claire Australia).
  • 2018: Grant publicly explained the breakup in a detailed interview.

Reason for breakup according to sources

  • In a 2018 interview with The Guardian, Hugh Grant stated the split occurred because he did not want marriage or children at the time, calling it “a very good reason” to end the relationship.
  • Both have spoken amicably about each other in later interviews. Grant has described Hurley as “a wonderful person.”

The implication: the breakup wasn’t driven by scandal or acrimony — it was a simple case of incompatible life goals, which Grant himself acknowledged as his own failing.

Bottom line: Elizabeth Hurley and Hugh Grant ended a 13-year partnership because Grant was not ready for marriage and children. Both remain on good terms, and Grant has publicly taken responsibility for the split.

Why Does Liz Hurley Look So Good?

Skincare and lifestyle habits

  • Hurley has stated she uses Estée Lauder products and drinks plenty of water daily.
  • She exercises regularly, incorporating walking, yoga, and strength training into her routine.
  • In a 2020 interview with Harper’s Bazaar, she credited “a good skincare routine, lots of sleep, and not drinking too much alcohol” as her primary anti-aging strategies.

Role of genetics and fitness

  • Hurley has not publicly disclosed having cosmetic procedures.
  • She follows a balanced diet focused on fresh vegetables, lean protein, and hydration, but avoids strict fad diets.

The catch: while Hurley attributes her appearance to disciplined habits, she has never claimed to avoid modern beauty technology — leaving the question of procedures open to speculation without confirmation.

Is Elizabeth Hurley a Cigarette Smoker?

Public statements and sightings

  • Elizabeth Hurley was photographed smoking in the 1990s, a common image from that era of her career.
  • In a 2019 interview with The Times, she said she smoked “now and again” but not regularly, adding it was a rare indulgence rather than a habit.
  • No recent credible reports confirm that she currently smokes cigarettes with any regularity.

The takeaway: like many public figures whose images were captured in a different era, Hurley’s past smoking has been exaggerated into a defining habit that she herself has downplayed.

Why Is Liz Hurley So Rich?

Income sources: acting, modeling, business

  • Hurley earned a reported £2 million for a 2-year contract with Estée Lauder in 1995, an unusually high figure for a model at the time.
  • She founded Elizabeth Hurley Beach, her swimwear line, in 2005. The brand continues to operate and sell via its official website.
  • Her acting roles in blockbusters like Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997) and Bedazzled (2000) contributed to her wealth.
  • Estimated net worth: $50 million according to IMDb News (2025), a figure also repeated by Yahoo Entertainment.
The upshot

Hurley’s wealth is not primarily from acting — it’s the result of a single, well-timed brand ambassador deal that paid a career-defining sum, followed by a durable swimwear business that has operated for two decades.

The pattern: Hurley monetized her public profile through licensing and product sales more effectively than through film residuals, a model many later celebrities have emulated.

When Did Hurley Come Out?

Meaning of the term in context

  • Elizabeth Hurley has never publicly identified as gay or bisexual.
  • The question likely stems from a misunderstanding about her son, Damian Hurley, who came out as queer on Instagram in 2019.

Her public statements on sexuality

  • Hurley has not addressed her own sexuality in any interview. No credible source indicates that she has “come out” in the sense of disclosing a non-heterosexual identity.
  • She has been publicly linked only with male partners throughout her career.

The catch: a simple search query produces confusion between mother and son, suggesting that online information retrieval fails when two public figures share a surname.

Is Billy Ray Cyrus with Liz Hurley?

Origin of the rumor

  • Billy Ray Cyrus and Elizabeth Hurley have never been romantically linked in any credible news report.
  • The rumor appears to originate from fan speculation on social media and possibly a Wikipedia edit that briefly listed Cyrus as her partner in 2025 (Wikipedia).
  • Billy Ray Cyrus has been married to Firerose since 2023 and was previously married to Tish Cyrus.

The takeaway: without a credible source, this rumor is a textbook example of how a single unverified edit can generate a widespread misconception.

Timeline: Elizabeth Hurley’s Career and Relationships

  • 1987: Met Hugh Grant on the set of a student film.
  • 1995: Signed as Estée Lauder brand ambassador.
  • 1997: Starred in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery.
  • 2000: Split with Hugh Grant publicly announced in May.
  • 2002: Gave birth to son Damian Hurley (father: Steve Bing).
  • 2005: Launched Elizabeth Hurley Beach swimwear line.
  • 2007: Married Indian businessman Arun Nayar.
  • 2011: Divorced from Arun Nayar.
  • 2018: Hugh Grant explained in public interview that split was due to his own aversion to marriage.

The implication: each major inflection point in Hurley’s life has coincided with a professional pivot — from model to actress, actress to entrepreneur, and entrepreneur to social media personality.

Clarity Check: Confirmed vs. Unconfirmed Claims

Confirmed facts

  • Elizabeth Hurley was born on 10 June 1965 in Basingstoke, England (Wikipedia).
  • She was in a relationship with Hugh Grant from 1987 to 2000 (Marie Claire Australia).
  • She has one son, Damian Hurley, born in 2002.
  • She founded Elizabeth Hurley Beach swimwear in 2005.
  • Her net worth is estimated at $50 million (IMDb News, 2025).

What’s unclear

  • Whether Elizabeth Hurley is currently in a serious relationship.
  • Whether she currently smokes cigarettes with any regularity.
  • The exact reason she ended her Estée Lauder contract (ended in 2013).
  • Whether she has undergone cosmetic procedures.

The trade-off: Hurley’s careful boundary between public persona and private life means that many high-interest questions remain unanswered, feeding both admiration and frustration among her audience.

Quotes from Hurley and Grant

“I was bad at relationships. I think the reason Elizabeth and I broke up was that I didn’t want to get married, I didn’t want to have children. That’s a very good reason.”

— Hugh Grant, in an interview with The Guardian (2018)

“I don’t think I’ve ever been someone who’s defined by age. I feel exactly the same as I did in my 20s, just with more wisdom.”

— Elizabeth Hurley, in an interview with Harper’s Bazaar (2020)

The contrasting perspectives reveal two very different ways of processing the same shared history: Grant with self-critical hindsight, Hurley with forward-looking composure.

Summary: What Hurley’s Career Teaches Us

Elizabeth Hurley’s longevity in the public eye is not an accident of fame but a deliberate strategy of brand management. She turned a single glamour shot (that safety-pin Versace dress at the 1994 premiere of Four Weddings and a Funeral) into a decades-long career. Her swimwear line, launched in 2005, has outlasted most celebrity fashion ventures. Her relationships — with Hugh Grant, Arun Nayar, Shane Warne — have each generated press cycles without overshadowing her professional identity. For a public figure whose last major acting role was years ago, Hurley has maintained relevance through disciplined personal branding, selective media appearances, and a refusal to over-explain herself. The consequence for any celebrity looking at Hurley’s model is clear: keep your private life private enough to be interesting, but public enough to stay in the news.

Frequently asked questions

What is Elizabeth Hurley’s most famous film role?

She is best known for playing Vanessa Kensington in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997) (IMDb).

How old was Elizabeth Hurley when she started modelling?

She began modeling as a teenager, though she first gained widespread attention in her late 20s.

Does Elizabeth Hurley have a clothing line?

Yes, she founded Elizabeth Hurley Beach, a swimwear brand, in 2005 (Elizabeth Hurley Beach official site).

What is Elizabeth Hurley’s relationship with her son?

She is very close to her son Damian Hurley, who often appears on her social media and has pursued a career in acting and directing.

Has Elizabeth Hurley ever been married?

Yes, she was married to Indian businessman Arun Nayar from 2007 to 2011 (People).

Does Elizabeth Hurley use social media?

Yes, she has over 3 million followers on Instagram as of 2025.

What is Elizabeth Hurley’s diet and exercise routine?

She follows a balanced diet, drinks plenty of water, and exercises with walking, yoga, and strength training.

How did Elizabeth Hurley get famous?

She gained widespread fame from her relationship with Hugh Grant and the iconic Versace safety-pin dress she wore to the 1994 premiere of Four Weddings and a Funeral (Biography.com).