Former prostitute thanks Hugh Grant for life post-scandal

London: A former prostitute who hit headlines for her infamous 1995 encounter with Hugh Grant has publicly thanked the actor for "changing" her life after the scandal.

The British star was arrested in Los Angeles with Hollywood prostitute Divine Brown and she went on to land a series of lucrative publicity deals to talk about her experience with the actor, Daily Mail online reported. Brown, real name Stella Thompson, quit prostitution after the furore and now lives in Atlanta, Georgia after her estimated USD 1 million earnings set her up financially. And the 41-year-old admits she will always be grateful to Grant for giving her a second chance at life, insisting she felt like Julia Roberts` character in 1990 film Pretty Woman. "That was the trick that changed my life. The event that earned me a million dollars... the fuss afterwards scared me right there and took me off the game... I have the most wonderful life now. I`ve got a nice new home... there`s no pool but there is a picket fence. I thank the Lord everyday...," Brown said. "I was always attracted to the glamorous life and that half an hour with Hugh Grant made me able to buy all the things I`d dreamt of having. That film Pretty Woman seemed to be what my life was about. Hugh Grant was my Richard Gere," she added. And Brown is convinced the embarrassing incident actually worked in Grant`s favour, because he went on to carve out a highly successful movie career. "I know he helped to upgrade my future and my family, but I upgraded his, too. He got more recognised and more movies after that night," she added. PTI