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Charlie Hunnam Is a True Pal: Best Man Tried to Keep Fifty Shades Departure Under Wraps Before Friend's Wedding!

E! News is told that the actor tried to ensure that his friends' big day didn't become more about his big news than their nuptials

By Natalie Finn Oct 15, 2013 12:53 AMTags
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It looks as if picking Charlie Hunnam to be the best man was right on target.

E! News has learned that the British actor did everything he could to keep the news that he was exiting Fifth Shades of Grey under wraps—at least for a day—so that the bombshell wouldn't overshadow his friend's wedding in Santa Barbara, Calif.

Of course, all-out media anarchy could not be avoided once word got out that Hunnam no longer planned to play Christian Grey in the super-hyped film adaptation of E.L. James' erotic novel.

But he tried. We're told that Hunnam didn't mention his personal/professional news during the event and that the wedding party did their past to keep the bride, publicist Jennifer Betts, out of the loop as to not distract her.

And as you can see here, vows were swapped, the newlyweds kissed and all appears to have gone off according to plan.

Not so the big-screen love affair between Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele, however.

Not only was it not a surprise to an insider that Hunnam ultimately decided against being in the film due to, among various factors, the massive amount of publicity that automatically came with the role, but another source also told us that Dakota Johnson, who's slated to play Steele, is finding all the attention "tough."

"Dakota is having a very hard time dealing with all the press," the source said. "When she first got the role, it was way too much for her."

And she's going to have to go it alone until the studio replaces Hunnam.