Jude Law secret romance with French journalist Rachel Bourlier left her heartbroken when he was pictured with rumoured new girlfriend Phillipa Coan'

Rachel is said to have called Jude to confront him about the pictures

Fans were surprised when Jude Law went public with his rumoured new girlfriend Phillipa Coan at the Hay Festival in May.

But no one was more shocked that his alleged love interest, French journalist Rachel Bourlier, who was reportedly 'utterly heartbroken' when she read in the papers the Hollywood hunk was dating someone else.

The 43-year-old widow is said to have been secretly involved with Jude, 42, for months, with the pair's friendship turning romantic around the time his child with his 23-year-old ex-fling Catherine Harding was born last October.

The 43-year-old French beauty was allegedly devastated

Rachel said: 'I offered him a quiet place to get away from it all - somewhere he could relax and have peace.

'We had an amazing physical connection together. Jude spoke to me in French and told me many beautiful things.'

The paper claims the pair first met when they were stuck in traffic near their homes in the upmarket area of Belsize Park, London in 2013.

They got chatting through their car windows and Jude asked for her mobile number, allegedly striking up a text flirtation which went on for a year before they finally met up.

While their busy schedules are said to have kept them apart, with Jude jetting all over the world for his acting career and Rachel regularly travelling to France for work, they apparently arranged to meet as often as possible.
The secret trysts reportedly took place at the French millionaire's house while her 21-year-old daughter and 13-year-old son were out, or at a nearby hotel.

So it came as a huge shock to Rachel when Jude was pictured with stunning blonde Phillipa, especially since the pair are reported to have been in constant communication up until then.

Rachel allegedly phoned the Alfie actor to confront him after seeing the pictures, after which he sent her a text apologising for the way in which she found out.

Jude - who apparently insists he was never seeing the two women at the same time - has famously had a colourful personal life since splitting from his ex-wife Sadie Frost in 2003, with whom he has teenage children Rafferty, Iris and Rudy.

He called off his engagement to actress Sienna Miller in 2006 following a three year relationship, during which he was forced to make a public apology for having an affair with the nanny of his children.

He then fathered a daughter, Sophia, with American model Samantha Burke in 2008 following a brief romance, and became a dad for the fifth time last October with his former fling Catherine Harding.