Beaming over the tube Sunday night from the Golden Globes was a paragon of Hollywood glamour, civility and elegance where nothing — neither rambling acceptance speeches nor obvious sartorial bad taste — was able to penetrate the perfunctory good grace of the show biz types.
But such de facto behavior and unnerved composure was apparently nowhere to be seen at a pre-Globes schmoozefest one day before theceremony.
At least not according to The Daily Record. The London tabloid reported Sunday that a “melee” erupted at the star-studded Hollywood party Saturday night at the Mondrian Hotel in West Hollywood. Hosted by the New York-based entertainment and culture monthly Talk magazine, the party curiously degenerated into slow chaos when crazed, rowdy and star-stunned fans (or in the words of the London tab, “gawkers, gropers and gatecrashers”) reportedly chased, cornered and groped several Hollywood big names who were in attendance.
The unfortunate prey of such indecent misconduct was none other than supermodel Elizabeth Hurley, whom a liquored-up onlooker reportedly whispered dirty things to (the exact nature of the obscenity has apparently eluded the Record) and whose shoulders the same intruder reportedly “pawed.” Hurley, being a ’90s woman with both beauty and sass, reportedly defended herself with an uncharacteristically brazen gesture by tossing her unfinished drink in the direction of the said man while boyfriend Hugh Grant (reportedly) called for backups on his cell phone.
The proper British couple — along with fellow catwalker Claudia Schiffer and her rich British boyfriend Tim Jeffries, who suffered similar distress — later slipped out of the jam through the underground garage, unharmed and all.
Kevin Spacey, who was nominated for a Globe for best actor (drama), was apparently not as lucky. The famed actor, after he escaped unnoticed from the hotel, was reportedly chased after by a group of intoxicated star-gazers down the posh Sunset Strip (the Mondrian is located on Sunset Boulevard.)
PR folks at Talk magazine were quick to dismiss The Daily Record report relating to the riotous brawl.
“No, I think the Brit paper took it way out of proportion. I was there, and I didn’t see it happen. Nobody at the hotel saw it happen. I think it’s just a case of bad gossip,” said Hilary Bass, publicist for Talkmagazine.
An unnamed source confirmed Bass’s statement and added that The Daily Report was not even credentialed to be at the Mondrian event.
Elizabeth Hurley and the Mondrian Hotel were not available for comment.
