Billy Bob Thornton This is a tricky situation to be sure.

Rumours of Billy Bob Thornton getting more than friendly with Tea Leoni have been doing the rounds since it was announced the actress had split from husband David Duchovny.

But now Billy has had his say...

He's hit back at those saying he's responsible for the separation of Tea and David.

Billy Bob and Tea became pally while working together on a recent film, Manure, which haDavid Duchovny and Tea Leonis led to whisperings of a romantical linkage between them.

And it was also highlighted when the news of Tea and David's split came out earlier this week.

In fact, we thought Billy Bob was taken too.

The last we heard he was happily coupled-up with Connie Angland, the mother of his four-year-old daughter.

But despite Billy Bob referring to Tea recently as "maybe my new favourite person in the world", he has denied that there's anything more to it than friendship.

A rep for Billy Bob said: "Billy and Tea are friends."

We wonder what David makes of all this?