Elizabeth Hurley defends racy lesbian sex scene which was directed by her son Damian in his upcoming directorial debut Strictly Confidential

Elizabeth Hurley and her son Damian have found themselves under fire after he directed her racy lesbian sex scene in his upcoming film Strictly Confidential.

Actress Elizabeth, 58, raised eyebrows for her steamy scene with another woman in the raunchy trailer for her upcoming film Strictly Confidential; which was directed by her 21-year-old son Damian.

But the star insists it wasn't just a 'titillating' moment but an important part of the plot of the movie.

In 22-year-old Damian's directorial debut, Elizabeth plays a mother called Lily who welcomes her daughter's friends to her Caribbean estate the year after the mysterious deaths of her daughter and her husband.

A number of secrets become known during the trip, including Lily's love affair with her daughter's female friend.

Of the steamy sex scene between the pair, which was directed by her real-life son Damian, Elizabeth told TooFab: 'Well, it was a very important part of storytelling, when Mia, our protagonist, is on this quest to find out why her best friend [Elizabeth's character's daughter] killed herself,.

'It was so integral to [the storytelling] that the actual physical filming of it wasn't even something we talked about really. 

'We just knew that the impact it would have on the story and the rest was just our job.'

She insists the scene is not simply included for shock value, adding she always stays away from movies that have salacious moments to stun the audience.

The screen star said: 'For me, when I get a script, if I feel something is put in gratuitously -- which has nothing to do with storytelling -- right from when I was a beginner, I'd be like, "I don't get that, I don't understand that, that's not something I want to be part of."

'It's just thrown in, in my head, by some male executive somewhere and I've never been part of that. 

'I would not have been on this, but it wasn't. It was so integral. It was part of the storytelling, it wasn't just a sex scene thrown in for titillation.'

It comes after Elizabeth and her son Damian came under furious fire from a professional psychotherapist over their controversial new movie collaboration which saw the actress being directed by her child as she performed a lesbian sex scene. 

While Elizabeth claimed to feel 'liberated' by having a family member around to film the saucy scenes, Couples Therapy star Dr Jenn Mann has criticised her actions.

According to the licensed marriage, family and child therapist, filming the scenes are a major boundary breach between parent and child, and she would advise against simulating sex in front of your child.

Jenn told TMZ she found the actress' comments about the scenes being 'liberating,' 'bizarre' - and weren't aligned with a healthy parent-child dynamic.

She told the publication in her opinion, despite Damian being an adult, directing his own mother's erotic scenes is crossing some lines between parent and child.

Elizabeth, who shares Damian with ex-Steve Bing, previously told Access Hollywood she felt 'safe and looked after' shooting the film.

'It’s relaxing knowing someone’s behind the camera who looks out for you,' the Austin Powers star explained, adding that was particularly important when filming this movie.

'Because the things that his script needed me to do in this weren’t necessarily always done in movies many times before – but having him there meant I felt safe and looked after,' she said.

The actress added: It’s kind of liberating to work with your family, I may do it again.'

Damian agreed with his mom, telling the publication he didn't find the controversial scene problematic.

'We felt in our comfort zone, it’s very strange. I think, also, when you’re on an independent film, you have 18 days to shoot, every single second counts,' he shared. 'You can’t sit around mulling scenes, thinking "What if?"'