Elizabeth Hurley, 56, reflects on her viral quarantine bikini photos: ‘It was challenging’
The British model and actress launched a London-based swimwear label named Elizabeth Hurley Beach in 2005
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During the coronavirus pandemic, Elizabeth Hurley made use of quarantine by modeling bikinis for her 2.1 million followers on Instagram.
The sizzling snaps went viral and it drew attention to the actress and model’s swimwear brand while she was isolated at home.
"Well, it was challenging because I didn’t leave the country for anywhere hot," the 56-year-old told People (the TV show!) on Tuesday. "I filmed abroad, but I actually filmed in really cold countries. So all I had was my yard and my house, which is England. I didn’t have the beach, I didn’t have the sea, I don’t have any water. We very rarely have the sun."
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The star shared that it was her son Damian Hurley, a fellow model, who gave her a confidence boost to take the plunge.
"He said, ‘Mom, just do it,’" Hurley recalled. "I’m like, ‘OK.' But it’s good. I had him on task, especially during lockdown."
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When it comes to style, Hurley is no stranger to taking risks. It was 1994 when the then-28-year-old, a little-known actress, accompanied her boyfriend Hugh Grant for the premiere of his film, "Four Weddings and a Funeral."
For the afterparty red carpet, Hurley famously wore a black silk Versace dress that was held together with oversized gold safety pins.
While the gown made Hurley a household name overnight, she doesn’t know where it is today because she "gave it back straight away."
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"I know it’s been in places like the Metropolitan Museum of New York and it’s been in the [Victoria and Albert] museum here [in England]," she told the outlet. "I think it’s been on a world tour."
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Back in January of this year, Piers Morgan apologized to Hurley for calling her "thirsty and creepy" after she shared a racy topless pic of herself.
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In the outdoor photo shared on Instagram, Hurley wore a black and white fluffy coat that partially covered her chest, as well as white bikini bottoms.
The image went viral and received plenty of praise in the comments, but found some critics including Morgan, 56, who appeared to speculate that the actress had told her son Damian, 19, to take the picture.
After Morgan’s allegation, Hurley took to Twitter where she shared a few more shots from the photoshoot and clarified who exactly took them.
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"Far be it for me to suggest the tabloids get their facts muddled, but these pics were in fact taken by my 80 year old mother," she wrote online. "Not entirely sure if that puts minds at rest or not."
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Hurley launched a London-based swimwear line named Elizabeth Hurley Beach in 2005.
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"I decided to venture into beachwear not only because I’ve always been obsessed with vacation clothes, but also because it’s an area where women, regardless of shape or size, can either look amazing or really get it wrong. I wanted to develop resort collections, which make women feel fabulous at any age," she announced on the company’s site.
In May 2017, the star told Closer Weekly that being a mom inspired her to launch the brand. She previously took a break from Hollywood to focus on motherhood but found herself wanting to do something new professionally.
"Looking after my son became my number one task, and it was a joy to have someone else on whom to focus," Hurley told the magazine. "I was 36 and had been worrying about myself for quite long enough. I stopped doing movies and TV for the first eight years of his life, and I don’t regret it for a moment. I always put him first."
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ELIZABETH HURLEY WOWS IN TEENY-TINY BIKINI WHILE PROMOTING SWIMWEAR LINE
When it came to launching her swimwear collection, Hurley added, "It allowed me to be more flexible with my time and work when Damian was at school."
Still, Hurley insisted she was eager to take on new challenges as her son grew older.
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"I love my life," she said. "I love change and I love new experiences."