Butler: 'Romance rumours do me harm'

Gerard Butler has said that rumours about his love life are harming his reputation.

The actor, who has previously been linked to Jessica Simpson and Jennifer Aniston, admitted that he avoids being seen with women in public in case it sparks speculation that he is dating them.

"I think it does do your reputation harm if this is happening every week," he told BBC Newsbeat. "It gets to the stage when you want to go, 'Don't come near because then we'll be having a thing! Stay over there and maybe we can shout to each other'."

Butler added that he had confided in Aniston, who is his co-star in The Bounty.

"I remember I had the conversation with Jennifer because she gets the same thing but in a different way," he explained.

However, Butler also said that although he would like to have a serious relationship with someone, he is too busy to commit at the moment.

"It would be good to settle down eventually," he said. "It's not like I'm sitting there with laser vision going, 'OK, are you the one?' because what I'm doing is great as well.

"I've been in relationships and that's been great but that has its own problems when you're travelling as much as I do."

> Gerard Butler considers marriage, children