Imran: Hugh didn't breakup marriage

11 April 2012
The Weekender

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Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan has spoken of his hurt over rumours that actor Hugh Grant caused the break-up of his marriage to wife Jemima.

Khan divorced the daughter of billionaire Sir James Goldsmith in June after nine years.

Jemima and Four Weddings And A Funeral star Grant went public with their romance soon afterwards.

In his first interview since the divorce, Khan told of his pain over persistent rumours that the affair had begun while Jemima and he were still married.

He told Hello! magazine: "That was very unfair and upsetting.

"Let me categorically state that there was no infidelity in our marriage of nine years. It hurts when you hear these insinuations.

"No marriage could have ended in such an amicable way if a third party had been involved."

The relationship between Jemima, 30, and Grant, 43, has his blessing, Khan insisted.

"Jemima is obviously a very attractive woman and I knew she would meet someone new and find a new life.

"If it had been a sudden divorce, maybe I would have been affected by her
meeting someone so quickly, but we knew where we were heading for almost one
and a half years," he said.

"I wish her all the happiness in her new relationship and her new life, but at
this stage I want to cut myself off and insulate myself from that."

Asked how he would feel if Jemima married Grant, Khan said: "I would wish her the greatest happiness. She must make her own choices in life."

The couple share joint custody of their two sons, Sulaiman, seven, and Qasim, five.

The former Pakistani cricket captain said he was single and had no plans to marry again.

He admitted the break-up of his marriage was partly caused by his devotion to his political career - while he campaigned across the country, Jemima was left alone without the support of her friends and family.

Khan also blamed Pakistan's "political mafia" who he claimed hated Jemima because she was part-Jewish.

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