THE RUNAWAY BRIDEGROOM; Star Roberts dumped by fiance.
Byline: JOHN DINGWALLHOLLYWOOD superstar Julia Roberts has been dumped by boyfriend Benjamin Bratt weeks before their wedding.
Friends say Bratt, star of US TV show Law And Order, pulled out of the relationship because he didn't want to be known as Mr Julia Roberts.
The split, agreed last month, has left the Runaway Bride star broken-hearted.
The star couple, who've been dating for four years, secretly agreed to part about a month ago after Bratt, 37, bailed out of the relationship.
One of his pals blamed the split on the pressures of living in the shadow of one of Hollywood's biggest female star, who earns pounds 15million per movie.
The friend said: "He saw her career as a conflict to his plans and what he wants. He didn't want to be known as Mr Julia Roberts."
Another friend said Bratt "had been trying for years to get her to commit to marriage. They'd been back and forth on it. He finally had enough."
Last night, Bratt's spokeswoman Ina Trakiosis admitted: "It's true, they are no longer together."
But Roberts, who won an Oscar for best actress in March for her role in Erin Brockovich, was keeping a low profile and could not be reached for comment.
The decision to part was taken last month when Roberts, 33, flew to visit Bratt in Canada on the set of his new film, Abandoned.
The break-up is sure to dog Roberts as she does publicity for her upcoming film, America's Sweethearts.
The plot centres on press agent Billy Crystal who must deal with the split of two stars - John Cusack and Catherine Zeta-Jones. Roberts plays Zeta-Jones' sister
Inevitably, there will be comparisons between Roberts and her character in Runaway Bride, a woman who leaves three grooms right before the weddings - a scenario she has been through off-screen as well.
Roberts dumped Kiefer Sutherland in 1991, shortly before the June wedding they'd planned.
She married country singer Lyle Lovett in 1993 after six weeks of friendship. They divorced in 1995 after just 21 months.
In April 1994, Roberts was seen flirting with Gattaca star Ethan Hawke in a Manhattan restaurant while still wed to Lovett.
Roberts also sought emotional support from her Pretty Woman and Runaway Bride co-star Richard Gere, when she finally left Lovett.
She started dating Friends star Matthew Perry in 1996.
But she seemed to have found her dream man in 1997. She and Bratt quickly became inseparable.
"We're drunk with joy 24 hours a day," she said told an interviewer in February.
Sadly, it seems Julia won't be smiling anymore.
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| Title Annotation: | Features |
|---|---|
| Publication: | Daily Record (Glasgow, Scotland) |
| Date: | Jun 29, 2001 |
| Words: | 431 |
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