Liz Hurley Expects Baby in Spring

By Stephen M. Silverman

11/08/2001 at 12:00 PM EST

British actress-model Elizabeth Hurley, 36, and her American film producer boyfriend, Stephen Bing, 35, are on their way to becoming parents, the "Bedazzled" star's spokeswoman announced in London on Thursday. "Elizabeth Hurley is delighted to confirm that she is expecting a baby in April," said Karin Smith. "Stephen Bing is the father." The news comes after a few weeks of media speculation that the reason Hurley was wearing baggy clothes did not have anything to do with overeating. Hurley initially denied the speculation, but Smith is now saying that Hurley is "absolutely thrilled." Last May, Hurley split with her boyfriend of 13 years, British actor Hugh Grant, with whom she set up a production company called Simian Films. Their projects included two poorly received movies, "Extreme Measures" and "Mickey Blue Eyes," both of which starred Grant. For several years Hurley was the international face of Estee Lauder cosmetics. In January she was ordered to pony up $75,000 to the Screen Actors Guild for making a Lauder commercial during the 6-month-long actors' strike against advertisers. Hurley claimed that she had been unaware of the U.S. dispute.