Photo: Fred Duval/FilmMagic

Drew Barrymore, Hugh Grant

Drew Barrymore’s relationship withHugh Grantstems from a letter she sent him during a difficult time in his career.

Barrymore initially asked herMusic and Lyricscostar if she remembered how they met, and reminded him that she wrote him a letter before the two met in person.

He continued, “I was back in England with 5,000 members of the press around the borders of my farm and I opened a letter, from you, that was very supportive and nice, and it was very cheering up and I thought, ‘I love Drew Barrymore.’ Words of support from an actress I didn’t know in Hollywood was lovely, so, you will always have a place in my heart.”

In June 1995, Grant was arrested for paying sex worker Divine Brown, whose real name is Estella Marie Thompson, to perform sexual acts on him in a public space. At the time, theNine Monthsstar had been dating British actressElizabeth Hurleyfor over a decade.

He was ultimately ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and attend an AIDS education program as punishment.

Barrymore, 46, who’s beenopen about her own struggles while growing up in the spotlight, said she decided to write the letter because she could relate to Grant.

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“I just appreciated you and you were just the most charming human,” she told her longtime friend.

Speaking with PEOPLE in 2018, Grant opened up about his infamous incident with Brown, where he shared, “I was just an idiot. I didn’t try to say, ‘I’ve got this psychological problem.’ I just said, ‘I did it.'”

source: people.com