Luz: 'Madonna is just a friend'

The model romantically linked to Madonna has dismissed reports that the pair are planning to marry.

Speaking on Brazilian television, Jesus Luz insisted that there are "no wedding plans" and "no wedding presents" and that his relationship with the star is purely platonic.

"Madonna is beautiful, a person full of positive energy, with no visible faults. I found her marvellous. Her personality also impressed me," the Daily Mail quotes him as saying.

"She is a person I admire a lot, a friend in my life, who I remain in contact with. But apart from that I cannot say more... She is my friend, only a friend."

The couple sparked rumours of a romance after meeting on a magazine shoot in Brazil last December. Since then, Luz has been spotted out with Madonna and her children, and escorted her to the Met Costume Ball earlier this month.

Speculation about an engagement had been fuelled by the model's father recently claiming that the pair were planning to wed in a secret Kabbalah ceremony in New York.