Actor Hugh Grant has become embroiled in an unlikely argument with the U.K.'s finance minister over a handshake — or the lack of one — at a movie premiere.

Grant, who is no stranger to controversy, reportedly refused to shake the hand of Sajid Javid at the event in London.

In a magazine interview published Thursday, Javid said he extended his hand to the Hollywood actor at the launch of Grant's film "The Irishman." He then said: "Lovely to meet you," but the actor refused to shake his hand.

Javid said in the ES Magazine interview that he was shocked and thought it was "incredibly rude." Grant said to him "I am not shaking your hand" before adding "When you were culture secretary you didn't support my friends in Hacked Off," according to the finance minister.

Hacked Off is a campaign group established in 2011 in response to a phone-hacking scandal in the British press. Grant himself was subjected to phone hacking by a British newspaper group and is a vociferous supporter of Hacked Off, which campaigns against media intrusion and stronger press standards.