Javid slams 'rude' Hugh Grant for refusing to shake hand

CHANCELLOR Sajid Javid has slammed actor Hugh Grant for refusing to shake his hand at a film premiere.

Javid said the Hollywood actor was "incredibly rude" at an event earlier this month for Martin Scorsese's movie The Irishman.

In his interview, Javid told ES magazine: "I recognised him and put my hand out and said, 'Lovely to meet you', and you know what he does? He refuses to shake my hand.

"He says, 'I am not shaking your hand'. I am completely shocked.

"He said, 'When you were culture secretary you didn't support my friends in (anti-media intrusion campaign) Hacked Off.'

"I think that is incredibly rude. I wonder if people like Hugh Grant think they are part of the elite and they look down on working class people no matter what station they reach in life."

On Thursday (31), Grant took to Twitter to put out his "side of the story", saying he refused the handshake because he felt Javid was dismissive to the victims of press abuse.

He said his exact words to Javid were: "If you don't mind, I won't shake your hand because you were rude and dismissive to the victims of press abuse when you met them as culture secretary."

A spokesman for the actor said he was referring to a meeting when victims of press abuse said they felt  Javid's "attitude in the meeting was 'borderline contemptuous'".

The spokesperson also added that the victims in question were not celebrities, but people with personal family tragedies who had been abused by sections of the press.