tonight on "nightline," tabloid takedown. as the scandal around the head of fox news grows, actor hugh grant reveals how he got revenge on the tabloids. and, a u.s. congressman demands an investigation into possible phone hacking of 9/11 victims. we'll have the latest on the embattled rupert murdoch. virgins for life. it is a wedding with no visible groom, because she is a bride of jesus christ. >> i have people ask me that, how is the marriage going? >> tonight, we meet women known as consecrated virgins. and, the emcee. he's gone from the not ready to primetime players, to playing the white house, and now the espys. seth myers is tonight's "seriously funny." >> announcer: from the global

resources of abc news, with terry moran, cynthia mcfadden and bill weir in new york city, this is "nightline," july 13th, 2011. there is suspicion tonight in . the wake of the september 11th attacks, british journalists used bribery and wiretapping to access the voice mail of victims and their families. a new york congressman has asked the fbi to investigate news corporation, which owns fox news and the now shamed "news of the world." at the center of the scandal is the man who built news corp, rupert murdoch. and abc's jeffrey kofman has the latest. >> reporter: unlnls you live in a cave, rupert murdoch's media empire probably touches you every week. fox tv. fox news. "the wall street journal." 200 newspapers around the world. here in britain, he dominates

the media landscape. but this has been a bruising week for rupert murdoch. >> there is a firestorm that's engulfing parts of the media, parts of the police, and, indeed, our political system's ability to respond. >> reporter: it's been one stunning revelation after another. murdoch's headline hungry reporters allegedly hacking cell phones of murdered children. victims of terror attacks. even bribing the queen's security officers. and this, allegations that reporters hacked the voice mails of 9/11 victims in new york. prompting calls today for a justice department inquiry. >> it would be, you know, in my mind, probably the most invasive and perverse use of a victim's information in the final moments of their lives. >> reporter: none of this is a surprise to actor hugh grant, a long-time target of the tabloid. today, he talked with

"nightline" about how he waged his own covert operation and turned the tables on the tabloids. when did you first get a sense that they were listening in on your life? >> well, that was the paranoid moments when photographers would pop up out of nowhere. the most unlikely places, and you thought, how could they possibly know that? and you would think, i don't know, did a friend of mine leak it? >> reporter: five years ago, grant got the answer. police contacted him to say a private investigators have been hacking his phone, listening to his voice mail. that investigator worked for the london tabloid. granan learned he was just one f many victims. >> tabloids are using private detectives who are using illegal techniques and it's very widespread. and the government did nothing. absolutely nothing. because of their terror of the press. >> reporter: paul mcmullen was a reporter and editor at "news of the world." the epicenter of the scandal. >> would you stop at doing anything to stop getting a

story? no, you wouldn't. >> reporter: even breaking the law? >> absolutely. evev breaking the law. >> reporter: last christmas, a seemingly random encounter spurred grant into action. he was driving his new ferrari in the countryside when it broke down. who pulled up and started snapping photos? paul mcmullen. grant curses, but he needs a ride. >> i end up having this conversation with him, in which he starts boasting about the fake that he used to work for "the news of the world" and that he still keeps his camera in his glove box of the car. and he givens me everything. about how they used to hack my phone. how phone hacking contrary to opinion at that time, earlier this year, wasn't small isolated incident but but massive. >> reporter: mcmullen invites grant to visit the pub he now owns. and he sells the pictures for a quick $5,000. eager for some pay back, grant does visit mcmullen in the spring, wearing a hidden recording device.

>> it could hurt someone's career. but isn't that the dance with the devil that you have to play? >> reporter: what did you learn? >> the extent of phone hacking, how prevalent it was. >> so, the police don't particularly want to investigate. >> but you think they're going to have to now? >> i mean, 20%, has taken back handers from tabloid hacks. so why would they want to open up? >> reporter: it's an odd time here in britain. actors acting like journalists and journalists acting like criminals. you said, i felt a little guilty about doing it? >> i didn't feel that guilty. there was a sort of perfect symmetry to it, really. >> reporter: grant published his account in april. but it wasn't until last week when it was alleged that murder victim milly dowler was also a phphe hacking victim. that's when the scandal exploded. >> we've seen nothing short of a revolution in a space of ten days. this was a country that was effectively ruled by rue put

murdoch and right now, in parliament, they're pretty much telling him to get out of the country. >> reporter: now you're telling me for the last 30 years it's not the queen that the prime minister's reported to, but rupert her dock? >> yes, frankly. i am telling you that. and that's why people ask me what my motive has been in all of this is, i absolutely admit a lot of it is personal grievance. any human being who finds that their privacy has been hacked, you feel a natural sense of rage and you want to reach for a cricket bat and smash someone around the head. i'm not denying there is that. but i am also furious for my country. you know, i like to feel proud of this country. i like to feel proud of that curious labyrinth machine of checks and balances that keeps our democracy working. and the fact that it's got this great cancer on it from news international and from other aspects of the tabloidpress, horrifies me and, you know, i

found myself out in the open, shouting about it. >> reporter: and now, it's not just the nation, but the world that is listening. i'm jeffrey kofman for "nightline" in london. >> and just ahead, they are not nuns, but they call themselves brides of christ. why professional women would pledge a life of celibacy to a partner they cannot see. here at quicken loans, we like to go the extra mile for our clients. with the wassman family, it was 2,500 extra miles. we're the wassman family from skagway, alaska. livin' so far out and not havin' a bank within 90 miles... i was runnin' into dead ends. happened to come across quicken loans online. [ chris ] walked over to the computer... i was able to see all the paperwork. while i was on the phone, i was able to go through the checklist. [ kathy ] they were quick and efficient. quicken loans is definitely engineered to amaze.

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help regulate your digestive system. love how you feel or your money back. >> announcer: "nightline" continues from new york city with bill weir. >> if you tuned into tonight's "primetime nightline," you saw my global quest to underthostan

those who love mary, mother of jesus. along the way, we found some professional women who would consider mary their mother-in-law. it continues our series, beyond belief. it's the day every little girl dreams of. >> i had two bridal showers. my mom helped me write out the invitation. she went with me to look for dresses, try them on. i had my own veil hand made. >> reporter: on elizabeth lee's special day, 200 of her closest friends and family gathered to watch her walk down that aisle. >> i had many couples come who are married that said, this is the most beautiful wedding i've ever attended. a lot of my friends were so excited for me. i felt that they all didn't quite understand exactly what was going on. here i was going through a type of wedding and where is my spouse. i don't see him.

>> reporter: the groom is nowhere to be found. because this is no ordinary wedding. and her spouse is no ordinary guy. >> they renounce the joys of human marriage. >> i ams spoused to christ. and mystically united to him. other people might say, well, you know, christ is my savior, christ is my redeemer. i look at him as christ my spouse. >> reporter: that's right. elizabeth is a bride of christ. dedicating her entire being to him, including her virginity. the unusual ceremony is complete the bride to be prostrates herself on the floor. 16 years later, elizabeth lee is one of about 3,000 consecrated virgins around the modern world. though, the ritual dates back to

earliest christianity. >> the very first women who responded to jesus' own words, th were consecrated virgins. >> reporter: judith, the president and member of the u.s. association of consecrated virgins, notes the strict, if obvious requirements. >> the idea here is that we are giving our virginity. that which we have always kept intact, to christ. >> reporter: so, how exactly discuss one end up in this unique marriage? wewe, raised in a catholic family, elizabeth was always religious. but she had an active dating life and always pictured a conventional family. >> i waslying up in a plane with my boyfriend and we're flying around the statue of leberty. the sun is just starting to set. and i thought, i should be really, really happy. and then, i said, no, something's missing. >> reporter: the moment was a revelation. >> when one gives one self fully to another, you're giving your

body, your mind, your intellect, your will. i felt i didn't want to give my body to another. >> reporter: so, she never did. nor did judith. and it took awhile to get used to even using the word. >> when i was first consecrated, it was really a question for me whether it was going to use the word virgin when i was describing myself. because it seemed so odd to focus on somethingo personal. when i'm just telling who i am. >> reporter: and yet, sometimes, her perpetual virginity is a surprising asset. >> i often work with men. i notice after my consecration that their wives were much more comfortable having me work with their husbands. >> reporter: but aside from the lack of physical intimacy, judith insists she and her other

consecrated virgins leave perfectly normal lives. >> the consecrated virgin lives fully in the word. she doesn't use the title sister or wear a veil in daily wife. >> reporter: today, elizabeth is a bio-ethicist, thinking and writing about the intersection of religion and science. she loves to spend time in her garden, where her role model mary watches over her. and she loves to volunteer. >> i get people to donate clothing for those who are in need. >> oh, great. we can really use men's things. >> reporter: and while some couples struggle to keep things fresh, elizabeth says that 16 years in, she is still very much in love. >> i have people ask me that, how is the marriage going? oh, it's won'ter f wonderful. he's just faithful and loving and always there, providing and assisting. he puts up with me. i just think it's a beautiful life. .

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the los angeles dodgers are so broke, their first base coach is a mirror reflecting their third base coach. that was just one of the gems delivered by seth myers as the espy awards tonight. he is suddenly a man in command, and for abc's john berman, that is "seriously funny." >> reporter: for one night, it was the center of the entertainment universe. the espys. sports plus celebrity equaling glitz, glamour and guffaws. >> the proseeds for tonight's show go to a very worthy charity, the los angeles dodgers of america. >> reporter: in charge of the guffaws? a master of the trade. >> and action. >> reporter: seth myers. the 3737ear-old star of "saturday night live," who is very much in the middle of a moment. there he was emceeing the white

house correspondents dinner. >> these are my birth certificate jokes. so, thank you for the timing on that, mr. president. >> reporter: and there he is as the solo anchor of "weekend update." after co-anchoring with amy pohler for two years. and luckily for the espys, the new hampshire native is also a huge sports fan. how much do you like the red sox? >> i like the red sox the most of any things i like. >> reporter: we spent the day with him behind the sceness as e prepared to ridicule some of his heroes. some of these guys are very big. >> right. >> reporter: are you afraid? >> i don't have any fear of getting beat up. i just have fear of, like -- i think they can just look at my sideways and i would melt with fear. >> brett favre was so old, he remembers the first brett favre is old joke. >> he kind of stone faced me in the audience. i made the mistake of looking at

him. he gave me a laugh later. >> reporter: he does have some recent experience working tough crowds. >> what happened to you? when you were sworn in you looked like the guy from the old spice commercials. now you look like louis gossett sr. >> the white house correspondents dinner was more intimidating because who was there. people that can use the irs to investigate you. people thahacan, you know, deny you permits. >> reporter: and, of course, people like donald trump. he went after trump hard. >> donald trump has been saying he will run for president as a republican, which is surprising, because i just assumed he was running as a joke. >> reporter: don't trtrump didn to love the jokes. >> based on nonverbal communication, i would agree with you. and he said i had marbles in my mouth. yeah, look, it's hard, because i

value his judgment so much. so it was a really hard thing to hear. i'm going to do my best to bounce back. >> reporter: do you have a message? i want to give you a platform to deliver a message to trump now. >> look, he hosted "saturday night live" years ago. incredible memory for me and that's what i'm as going to remember. >> reporter: so, you have fond memories no matter what? >> i'm going to make sure that's what i hold onto. >> reporter: yes, no matter which team is playing at the end of the season, which candidate running at the end of the race, seth meyers will be there. latching. >> aaron rodgers, who won the super bowl and finally got out of the shadow of brett favre, which, we learned, is not as big a shadow as we originally thought. >> reporter: i'm john berman for "nightline" in los angeles. >> our thanks to john. thank you for watching abc news. you may have heard of the family that lost their daughter to foster care because she was