Estella Marie Thompson
Estella Marie Thompson | |
---|---|
Born | California, U.S. | August 9, 1969
Other names | Divine Brown |
Occupation | Former sex worker |
Known for | Her arrest with Hugh Grant |
Partner | Alvin C. Brown |
Children | 2 |
Estella Marie Thompson (born August 9, 1969), also known as Divine Brown, is an American former sex worker who gained attention from law enforcement and the media in 1995 when actor Hugh Grant was caught receiving oral sex from her in his car on Hollywood's Sunset Boulevard. Thompson has remained in the public eye since then through work in pornography, television appearances, and newspaper interviews.
Early life
Thompson grew up in poverty in the
Legal troubles
Arrest with Hugh Grant
On June 27, 1995, Thompson and British actor Hugh Grant were arrested together in Los Angeles. According to Thompson, the attention of a policeman was alerted by Grant repeatedly pressing the brake pedal of his BMW with his foot, causing the brake lights to flash many times.[2]
Charged with lewd conduct, she pleaded no contest on September 6, 1995.[3] In addition to being ordered to attend an AIDS class and perform five days of community service, she was fined $1,150 for parole violations and sentenced to 180 days in jail.[3] Hugh Grant pleaded no contest and was fined $1,180, placed on two years' summary probation, and was ordered to complete an AIDS education program.
Other legal troubles
In September 1996, Thompson was arrested at the MGM Grand Las Vegas in Paradise after flirting and making suggestive comments to undercover police officers.[4][5] A police officer involved in the operation was quoted as saying, "She didn't actually solicit, but the police officers knew what she was up to."[4] The arrest resulted in a $950 fine for loitering for the purpose of prostitution and resisting arrest.[6] Thompson denied she was still involved in sex work.[6]
Media appearances
Thompson only learned who her client had been when reporters besieged her house the day after her arrest.[
Thompson continued to stay in the public eye, appearing in Joey Buttafuoco's public-access television show in 1998, on Judge Judy in 1996,[9] and on the Danish documentary series Negermagasinet in 2005. She was the subject of the biopic Million Dollar Hooker in 2006 and appeared on Hollywood Lives, an ITV television series, in 2007.
Personal life
Thompson has been reported to have earned a total of $1.6 million from publicity related to her arrest with Grant. As a result, she and her manager, partner, and father of her children, Alvin C. Brown, bought a four-bedroom home in
Grant, asked in a 2003 London Times interview about how he viewed his encounter with Thompson, said, "I think, ultimately, the pros and cons about evened out, actually. I remember saying to my agent the night of the event – I was very drunk – 'Is this bad for my career?' He was a very Hollywood guy, for whom everything is fantastic, and even he ... had to say: 'Oh, it's not great.' But on the other hand, there were odd things coming out of it that were quite positive, in a way. So I have to say, in all honesty, I think it was kind of neutral."[2]
References
- ^ a b c Dugan, Emily (July 7, 2007). "Dumb luck, divine intervention?". The Age. Retrieved August 11, 2009.
- ^ a b "Hugh Grant interview". Times Online. February 2, 2003. Retrieved May 2, 2010.(subscription required)
- ^ a b c Hollywood Hooker Divine Brown Starts Jail Term Daily News, November 2, 1995 (From Google News Archive)
- ^ a b ANNE E. KORNBLUT (September 10, 1996), "DIVINE'S NOT OFF THE HOOK YET", New York Daily News
- ^ Matthew Ross Lippman Contemporary Criminal Law: Concepts, Cases, and Controversies Google Books
- ^ a b "All is not divine when Brown stands on street corners" The Post-Standard, November 22, 1996
- ^ Transcripts: Showbiz Tonight CNN.com, February 6, 2007; Retrieved May 25, 2007
- ^ Heels Inc (April 29, 2014). "The "Oh My God!" review: ECW TV 6/4/96 "Fight the Power"". CrazyMax.org. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
- ^ JJ Justice (November 8, 2021). "Judge Judy "Special Edition" 1996 Fred Lapides Opening Theme, Teasers, and End Theme/Credits". YouTube.com. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
- ^ Hugh's Divine intervention Sydney Morning Herald, July 7, 2007
- ^ WENN (August 28, 2010). "Former prostitute thanks Grant for changing her life". Wonderwall. MSN. Archived from the original on July 14, 2011. Retrieved August 28, 2010.
External links
- Emily Dugan The $50 Trick (or how Divine Brown turned an encounter with Hugh Grant into her fortune) The Independent, July 3, 2007
- Divine Brown biography Rotten.com
- Divine Brown at IMDb
- "Sunset and Divine: The British Experience (1996)" IMDb.com