Richard E Grant reveals he was left ‘devastated’ by a ‘toxic’ betrayal by a former ‘best friend’ of 30 years which made him cut her out of his life

Richard E Grant has revealed he was left ‘devastated’ by a ‘toxic’ betrayal by a former ‘best friend’ of 30 years which made him cut her out of his life. 

The Saltburn star, 68, saw his former university friend’s true colours when he was accidentally copied into an email she sent to a mutual friend, in which she was extremely rude about his work.

‘I thought [she] was one of the five best friends of my life,’ admitted the actor on Paloma Faith’s podcast Mad Sad Bad. 

He explained: ‘There was a paragraph of such toxicity… it was [an annihilation] of my script that I’d written that was entirely autobiographical.

‘I was absolutely devastated, so I copied and pasted that and sent it back and said: “Twenty-nine years of friendship?”

‘My daughter [Olivia] said to me, “In your heart of hearts, haven’t you always known this about this person?” Then she said, “You’ve taken too long to answer, I think you’ve always known”.

‘I’ve not seen that person since.’

Richard E Grant has revealed he was left ‘devastated’ by a ‘toxic’ betrayal by a former ‘best friend’ of 30 years which made him cut her out of his life; pictured 2025

The Saltburn star, 68, saw his former friends true colours when he was accidentally copied into an email she sent to a mutual friend, in which she was extremely rude about his work

It comes after Richard admitted that he ‘hasn’t really thought about’ finding a new partner since Joan’s death.

Speaking to The Sunday Times Culture Magazine last year, he said: ‘The idea of being 67 and three quarters and taking my kit off is so mortifying, I’d have to be in a Krakatoan cave without a crack of light.

‘That may change. I’m hopeful-minded and open-hearted but I’m not looking for it.’

Richard added that he doesn’t feel ‘lonely’ due to his close relationship with his daughter Olivia and her husband, who both live with him.

The veteran actor had also previously shared that his ‘hilarious’ wife ruled out eligible women for him before she died.

Dialect coach Joan tragically passed away in September 2021 aged 74, eight months after she was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer.

The Withnail And I star has been extremely candid about his grief in the years since Joan’s death.

Richard has also previously shared what made him realise his late wife really loved him.

‘There was a paragraph of such toxicity… it was [an annihilation] of my script that I’d written that was entirely autobiographical. I was absolutely devastated’, he said

‘My daughter [Olivia pictured] said to me, “In your heart, haven’t you always known this about this person?” Then she said, “You’ve taken too long to answer, I think you’ve always known”‘

Speaking on The Lulu Podcast: Turning Points, Richard said of Joan: ‘She was hilarious – a month before she died, she went through all the women, the women who were either single, divorced or available or widowed, that we knew. 

‘And she basically went through all of them like a lioness and gave me a reason why I shouldn’t pursue any of them.

‘And I knew how much she loved me by doing that…’ he added.

Richard went on to share Joan’s reaction to him finally meeting his idol, the iconic Barbra Streisand.

‘They say you should never meet your idols… and after I had this conversation with her and came back to London, and Joan said – even though she was then 79 years old – “If she wasn’t married to James Brolin, would you still jump her bones?”‘ Richard said.

‘And I said, “Darling, you know the answer to that.” And she said – “Well, I’ve got you, you’re never getting away.”‘

Of finding love again, Richard said: ‘I have no expectation that I will fall in love again, which is not to say that it couldn’t or wouldn’t happen, I’m not there on a dating app trying to find it.

Last year, Richard admitted that he ‘hasn’t really thought about’ finding a new partner since his wife Joan’s death (pictured in 2019) 

‘I feel fulfilled and sustained without feeling like I’ve lost my better half, which I have.’

The actor also revealed he is still so in love with his late wife that he emails her each night.

Richard said: ‘I have no woolly spiritual delusion that she’s hearing this, or that I’m going to get a response, but it somehow keeps the connection going.

‘So I write to her – “Dear J, today would really have amused you…” It makes it feel like that person is still there – it’s an ongoing conversation.’