Julia Roberts spent time with prostitutes

Los Angeles, March 27 (IANS) Actress Julia Roberts spent time with prostitutes who were paid $35 each to talk to her before filming "Pretty Woman".

Barbara Marshall, a former nurse and the widow of the movie's director, Garry Marshall, has opened up on how she was volunteering at a free clinic here in 1989 when she got a call from her spouse, reports New York Post newspaper's Page Six column.

She said: "Garry would never visit me at the clinic, because he was a hypochondriac and afraid of getting a disease. But he asked if Julia could come and talk to some of the patients.

"I recruited two young women who came to the clinic regularly, and I paid them $35 each to meet with Julia. I went back to work, and about 20 minutes later, Julia yelled from the end of the hall, 'Bye, Barbara. We're going to take a drive. We'll be back later.'"

Marshall panicked and called her husband and told the director: "Your star just left with a group of girls, and I think they were heading to Hollywood Boulevard. I'm worried. What if she doesn't come back?"

But the group returned later and Barbara praised Julia as "one tough lady who can take care of herself on and off camera".