Elizabeth Hurley couldn't "crumble" when her relationships ended because of her son.
Elizabeth Hurley in Red
The 'Royals' actress - who has 16-year-old Damian with former lover Steve Bing - admitted there is a "terrible gap" left when her romances broke down but she tried to stay strong and keep a regular routine for her offspring.
She told Red magazine: "Of course I get upset, like everyone does, and I do get down - there are times when I've thrown myself on my bed crying - but I've forced myself to bounce back.
"Being a single mother and having people to look after, you can't crumble.
"A friend of mine was splitting up with her husband and she was sobbing, saying, 'I don't know what to do' but we realised that what you have to do is feed the kids, give them a bath, put them to bed, tidy the house and get their school books ready.
"All of my boyfriends, husbands and fiances have been my best friends, so it's a terrible gap they leave.
"I think that's when you learn the importance of having other sources of comfort, fun, and intimacy."
Although the 53-year-old star - who was previously married to Arun Nayar, engaged to Shane Warne and in a long-term relationship with Hugh Grant - is happy to be single but won't rule out finding love again in the future.
She said: "Occasionally you'll meet someone who you click with - it's important to keep yourself open to that.
"And sometimes it's nice to be with people who don't know your history and weren't there through it all."
Elizabeth is preparing to head to a yoga meditation retreat with her son and thinks the break will be good for both of them.
She said: "Since he was 13, we've always gone away every year to somewhere exotic and this year we're going on a yoga meditation retreat.
"I think it might be quite good for an angst-ridden teenager and it might be good to find a way to switch off."
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