Actor Hugh Grant slammed London's Heathrow Airport after an encounter he described as "intrusive, insulting, and creepy."
Grant, 64, recounted the ordeal on X, saying that an immigration officer at the airport asked his children if he and his wife Anna Eberstein were their parents.
"Just came through Heathrow with wife and children," Grant's post read. "We all have the same last name (Grant) on our passports. Immigration officer engages my children in chit chat then whispers to them 'Are these your Mum and Dad?' Intrusive, insulting and creepy."
Grant has five children from two relationships: daughter Tabitha Xiao, 13, and son Felix Chang, 11, with actor Tinglan Hong, and son John Mungo, 12, along with daughters Lulu Danger, 9, and Blue, 6, with his current partner, Eberstein.
A Heathrow Airport spokesperson confirmed to People that Border Force officers are employed by the Home Office, not the airport.
A Border Force article on the U.K. government's website says it's not uncommon for children to be asked certain questions to determine their relationship with the person with whom they are traveling.
"If you are traveling with a child (under 18) and are not the child's parent, or may appear not to be the parent (for example, if you have a different family name), we may ask you a few questions to establish your relationship with the child," the site reads. "We will always do this as quickly as possible and in a way which is sensitive to the interests of the child and the adult involved."
Grant previously opened up about having children later in life, saying that he had them when he was "much too old in life."
"Now I'm 64, you know, and the youngest is 6, and I need a long stint in a sanatorium or an abbey," he said on the "Smartless" podcast.
He also shared his fears about his age as a father on "The Kelly Clarkson Show."
"There's a lot to dread because I'm old and it's noisy and it's unbearable and I do a bit of hiding in the loo," he said. "I mean, I'm going home tonight and, let's face it, the bit where they jump in your arms — my 6-year-old calls it her 'chimpanzee hug.' I quite like that ... I've made myself cry."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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