Night Jude ran from his wife

For months their relationship has been stormy as their marriage has disintegrated. So it could not have been worse for Jude Law when he and his estranged wife Sadie Frost turned up at the same party.

The 31-year-old Hollywood actor was mingling with guests, including 21-year-old actress Sienna Miller with whom he has been romantically linked, on the basement floor of the Hospital gallery in Covent Garden last night when he received a text message warning him of Frost's imminent arrival.

Law made a hasty dash for the stairs but was delayed by bumping into the party host, former Eurythmics star Dave Stewart, with whom he had a brief chat.

By the time he reached the top of the stairs, Frost and her new boyfriend, 22-year-old Jackson Scott, had made their entrance. An onlooker said: "The timing couldn't have been worse for Jude, who looked like a rabbit caught in headlights.

"Sadie was on the official guest list but Jude has been recording with Dave Stewart for his new film Alfie, so he was invited too. It really couldn't have been a more tense scenario."

Law jumped into a lift and escaped through a back door. Frost was indignant on discovering he had disappeared, asking a photographer: "Where is he? I want to talk to him."

Formal separation proceedings began in June this year when Law's legal team served divorce papers to Sadie.

Two serious rows have led to police being called to their £2.2 million property in Primrose Hill.

Other celebrities at the party to launch an exhibition celebrating hip hop culture in Britain included Jade Jagger, Roger Taylor and Atomic Kitten's Jenny Frost.