British actress Rebecca Hall was baffled by rumours she was involved in the breakdown of Kate Winslet's marriage to Sam Mendes - insisting she refused to let the lurid gossip "bother" her.
Winslet and Mendes announced their split in March (10) and they were subsequently hit by reports the director's close friendship with Hall had contributed to the disintegration of their seven-year marriage.
A rep for Mendes dismissed the rumours as "utter nonsense" and Hall, who worked with the director in two of his plays, has now spoken out for the first time after finding herself at the centre of a tabloid storm.
She insists there was never any truth to the story, saying, "It's the weirdest thing and it's all a load of b**locks... Of course, he's a good mate. I don't know where (the rumours) came from. Given up caring... Mostly I didn't give a s**t.
"There's a part of me that doesn't mind the most far-fetched things printed about me, because I'm actually keeping the reality shielded... the reality's just really boring... I'm a very private person."