The actor did not, however, comment on his recent awkward interview with Ashley Graham.
Hugh Grant is joking about his infamous arrest. The 62-year-old actor appeared on Thursday's episode of The View, and made a quip about his 1995 arrest with a sex worker for "lewd conduct."
The moment happened when Sunny Hostin asked Grant about the reasons behind his outspokenness against how the British tabloids invade people's privacy.
"Everyone thinks, 'Oh, well he's just bitter because he got arrested with a hooker in 1995,'" he said to uproarious laughter from the hosts and studio audience. "But actually it had nothing to do with that because that was never uncovered by tabloids. It was that the bloody police gave everyone the information. It was nothing to do with that."
Instead, Grant said his campaign against the tabloids' methods are because "with power comes responsibility."
"These big newspaper owners -- largely non-tax-paying newspaper owners -- are living above the law and invading the privacy of people whose kids are being killed in a road accident or whatever to get the sensational article," he said. "No one dares to take them on in Britain because they're so scared of them, especially the politicians. That's why politicians, really in my country, are chosen by the press... That's what my campaign is about."
Earlier during his sit-down on the morning show, Grant discussed his recent headline-making appearance at the Oscars. While he didn't mention his awkward pre-ceremony interview with Ashley Graham, he did discuss the joke he made while presenting an award with his one-time co-star, Andie MacDowell.
"[We're here] to raise awareness about the vital importance of using a good moisturizer," he quipped at the awards show. "Andie has been wearing one every day for the last 29 years. I've never used one in my life. [She's] still stunning, [and I'm] basically a scrotum."
On The View, Grant admitted, "I wrote that joke and I was extremely nervous about it."
"I think I got away with it," he said. "Sigourney Weaver said to me afterwards, 'You don't look like a scrotum.' She liked the joke, and that relaxed me."
Grant's Oscars night got off on an uncomfortable foot when he seemed to get increasingly irritated throughout his red carpet conversation with Graham, and appeared to not want to engage at all. After several short answers, Graham told Grant, "Well, OK, it was nice to talk to you." He responded with "yeah," before rolling his eyes and walking away.
While Grant has yet to speak out about the moment, Graham has, telling TMZ, "My mama told me to kill people with kindness, so there you go."
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