The public affair

Why did Liz Hurley and Shane Warne exchange amorous messages on Twitter? Cheap publicity stunt? Or commitment phobia? We ask the experts

The public affair

Why did Liz Hurley and Shane Warne exchange amorous messages on Twitter? Cheap publicity stunt? Or commitment phobia? We ask the experts

Elizabeth Hurley and Shane Warne. Pics/ AFP

Twitter is the forum for model Elizabeth Hurley and Aussie cricketer Shane Warne to broadcast their separation from their respective spouses. 'Not a great day,' Liz tweeted in December 2010. 'For the record, my husband Arun & I separated a few months ago. Our close family & friends were aware of this.'

The Aussie leg spinner tweeted in the same month: 'Sadly and unfortunately, Simone and I split up a while ago, our close friends and family were informed at the time. The two then went on to exchange texts that could easily pass off as lascivious. 'Sammy sends you a special lick and says he'd like to put his silky head on your shoulder' read a message from Liz to Shane in November 2010 that could be seen by 35,138 and 2,51,281 followers, respectively.

More tweets followed in December when Shane tweeted Liz about an adventure park ride in which he 'screamed so loud when ride took off I'm surprised you din not hear me back in the uk'. A UK tabloid claims to have captured the pair on video, embracing and kissing outside a restaurant.

"Such behaviour is nothing more than mental masturbation in which you get a high out of getting into something that has no commitment in the real world," says psychotherapist Dr Sujata Sudheendra. But why would the duo, who have thousands of miles between them resort to a public platform to first announce their separation, and then get celeb hounds into a frenzy over their online online PDA?

"Twitter can act as a tranquilizer, and a form of asserting one's self-worth," believes relationship expert Dr Kamal Khurana. "Few people -- celebrities or otherwise -- desire privacy in such matters. When you put that (information) up on such a platform, it stems from deeper emotions, including revenge or inferiority. It could perhaps even be a way to seek attention. When you flirt in public, as opposed to flirting in a closed chat room, you get gratification out of a relationship that is, and at the same that isn't."

According to counsellor Nisha Mehta, putting up a coded flirtatious message on Twitter is akin to having a secret that you want no one to know, despite your telling a loudmouth about it yourself.
"It's a confusing phase in both their lives and their messages only show the uncertainty that lies in their future."

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