Hugh Grant slams London’s Heathrow Airport for getting ‘creepy’ and ‘intrusive’ with his children

When actor Hugh Grant exited London’s Heathrow Airport on April 4, 2025, he didn’t leave a happy man — he, his Anna Eberstein, and their children were subjected to what he describes as an “insulting, intrusive, and creepy” treatment that focused on his kids.

Apparently, the family was going through the usual process of immigration when some officers started chatting with his children, only to then no-so-subtly ask them in whispers if Eberstein and Grant were actually their real parents.

The question is particularly ticked off Grant, who has supposedly never faced such a problem before, and presumably that includes the London airport since he and his family opt for this medium of transport frequently.

But what did Heathrow Airport say? Are they planning to take responsibility, probably extend an apology to the Wonka star? Evidently not, as in response to Page Six’s queries about the matter, a spokesperson for the airport instead dumped the issue on Home Office/Border Force in the U.K.

“Border Force officers are employed by Home Office/Border Force. They are not Heathrow staff, and the immigration halls are managed by Home Office/Border force.”

Now, Grant and his children don’t really raise a red flag. Even though two of his five children are with his ex-partner, Tinglan Hong, they all share his last name. This ticks the requirement stated by the Heathrow website, which states that if you’re “travelling with a child who has a different last name from yours or who isn’t your own, you may be asked to confirm your relationship.”

“You can speed up this process, by bringing documents that prove your relationship with the child and the reason for your trip. This can include birth or adoption, marriage or divorce certificates, or even a letter from the child’s parent(s) permitting you to travel and providing their contact information.”

Grant doesn’t seem to fall into either of the above-mentioned categories. But there are a number of things he could have not done or committed an error, though in the scenario that he did everything right, many are still not finding any fault in the immigration officers choosing to protect children over angering a celebrity and have claimed the actor is angry about something else entirely.

It remains to be seen if Grant is planning to aim a more solid response in retaliation against the airport. The actor’s bad experience aside, Heathrow’s conduct and efficiency of immigration services have been criticized and have faced heat in the past, like when they reportedly detained Britain’s Got Talent star Susan Boyle and handled the matter so poorly that the Scottish singer, who has Asperger’s syndrome, was left severely upset and humiliated.