Putting a different spin on the celebrity power couple, Liz Hurley and her son Damian turned heads on the red carpet recently as they attended the glitzy Remus Lifestyle Night in Palma, Majorca.
While, at the age of 21, some sons would do everything possible to avoid spending time with their mothers, the Hurleys looked as happy as ever in each other’s company. Fledgling movie director Damian gave his fashion legend mum a run for her money in the style stakes as they partied at luxury real estate mogul Marcel Remus’ annual charity gala.
In his powder blue suit and pink diamond crucifix, Damian looked as pleased as punch to escort age-defying Liz, 58, who looked amazing in a skin-tight, scarlet chiffon gown. He is signed to top agency IMG, but he faces an uphill battle to eclipse his mother’s iconic red-carpet moment in 1994, when she wore that black Versace dress.
Liz brought Damian up without any input from his father, businessman and film financier Steve Bing, who in fact refused to believe Damian was his child until a DNA test proved him wrong.
After spontaneously making contact on Damian’s 18th birthday, Steve hoped to build their relationship, but he tragically died by suicide in 2021, aged just 55.
Jade Thomas, psychotherapist and founder of Luxe Psychology Practice, suggests that being a single-parent family may have been one of the reasons that Liz and Damian continue to be such a great team now they are both adults.
“It could have strengthened the relationship and bond, as Damian may well have relied more intensely on Liz as a parent, due to his father not being emotionally or physically present,” she said.
“I imagine Liz would have tried hard to ensure her and Damian have a secure relationship because of this. Secure attachment styles with parent and child are formed by the parent aligning with the child’s needs and being in tune to their emotions.
“This provides the child with trust that they can rely on their caregiver in times of stress or need.”
And Liz has certainly always been there for her boy.
“You have been my North, my South, my East and my West for 21 years. When you burst into my life, you made it better in every conceivable way.
"You are my unique, glorious son and I am so proud of you and love you with every fibre of my being,” wrote Liz, in a touching Instagram tribute when Damian turned 21 in April.
“Since the day you were born I have always kept my powder dry and my lioness claws sharpened, and I always will.”
It’s hard to fathom that it has been almost 30 years since an unknown Elizabeth Hurley found overnight fame at the London premiere of her then-boyfriend Hugh Grant’s movie Four Weddings And A Funeral.
Wearing the now-legendary safety pin Versace gown, she hit the headlines worldwide and could not have been more surprised at her overnight promotion to fashion royalty – a status that lasts to this day.
“I didn’t have any clothes,” remembered Liz in an interview with US talk-show host Sherri Shepherd. “We lived in a tiny little one-bedroom apartment. I was like ‘I’ve got to wear something’ and somebody said ‘I know someone who reps some Italian brand’ – I’d never heard of Versace. I went round and they had that one dress.
"They put it in a white shopping bag and I took it home. I didn’t have a full-length mirror – I never saw it until it went in the paper, which was quite weird!”
Damian may love to socialise and party with his famous mum, whom he still lives with in their £6 million country mansion in Herefordshire, but Liz was far more rebellious when she was growing up.
Her father was an army major father and her mother was a schoolteacher, but she embraced the punk lifestyle and would spend time away from her home town of Basingstoke to party in London.
“We were terribly daring, having to miss the last train home so we could sleep at Waterloo station. It was the most exciting thing in the world – I can’t think why. I am sure I became quite horrid to live with,” she admitted.
“I finally realised I was not going to get any work unless I took out my nose ring and dyed my hair black,” she said.
And it was then that the young actress began to make her mark, in a career that would see her grace the cover of UK Vogue three times, and later star in Hollywood hits Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery and Bedazzled.
Liz and Hugh were together for 13 years before their split in 2000 and have remained close friends, with Hugh joining Elton John and David Furnish to become one of Damian’s six godfathers.
Liz is also godmother to Hugh’s eldest daughter Tabitha, 11 and still describes the actor as “family”, adding “it would be inconceivable for me not to be his friend”.
Growing up without his biological father at home may have been tough, but Damian was certainly not short of strong male role models.
He had Liz’s subsequent partners to admire and refers to Liz’s ex-husband Arun Nayar as his father to this day.
She started dating the textile heir when Damian was still a baby, eventually splitting in 2011, with Liz commenting it was the “most amicable divorce in the world, and my lawyer said it was the cheapest case she’d ever handled because neither of us wanted anything. I pay for everything myself and I’m very happy that way.”
Liz’s former fiancé, the late cricketer Shane Warne, is fondly remembered by Damian, who posted a sweet tribute to the Australian sporting legend on the first anniversary of his death in March this year.
“A year without SW… This photo was taken on one of the happiest days of my life. I will treasure it forever,” he wrote, adding a heartbreak emoji to a group snap of Liz and Shane with their respective children looking blissfully happy.
“Amid this grief, there’s evident mutual emotional support,” says counselling psychologist Peleg Amkoya. “They aren’t just mother and son; they’ve become emotional pillars for each other. Shared grief can be a profound bonding experience.
“While each person processes loss individually, there’s a silent understanding here: a shared experience that can deepen a relationship, making it more resilient and empathetic.
“It’s evident that the bond between Liz and Damian is multifaceted, resilient, and deeply adaptive. Their relationship offers a compelling study into how public figures can navigate the complexities of love, work, grief, and growth in the public eye.”
With his star on the rise, Damian has written and directed raunchy thriller Strictly Confidential, which features Liz in a starring role. As the film wrapped its Caribbean shoot last year, he thanked his “beautiful and supreme mother” for her involvement, saying “working together was a dream”.
We’re excited to see what the heir to the Hurley dynasty does next. With Damian’s ever-loving and supportive mother behind him, this is one celebrity partnership that’s going from strength to strength.
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