Gerard Butler told photographers trailing him that he’s not dating Cameron Diaz, and he used the most humorous analogy of gossip that I’ve ever heard from a celebrity:

“If I take a dog for a walk, apparently I’m f’king my dog!” [from US Weekly]

Do you think he meant to compare Diaz to a dog or did he just pick an unfortunate example in trying to show how ridiculous gossip rags are?

Cameron Diaz has a new interview and photo spread in the upcoming issue of W Magazine. I read the version online hoping to get a decent tidbit to report, but the article just made me shrug. It didn’t change my opinion of her at all. Maybe Butler feels the same way and doesn’t want to be punished by the media for exchanging pleasantries.

Thanks to W Magazine for these photos.

Gerard Butler with his nieces at the Nim’s Island premiere

It seems that every now and then a Hollywood celebrity does something good, like donates a large amount of money to a worthy cause, or brightens a sick child’s day with a visit, or raises awareness about global issues.

While these are excellent actions that applaud, I always think it can’t compare to daring rescues or other selfless gestures made by civilians in times of crisis. Gerard Butler performed his own rescue in Scotland ten years ago, the kind of action that movies are made about.

The actor was handed a Certificate of Bravery by the Royal Humane Society of Scotland in 1997 after putting his own life on the line to pull a child from the River Tay.

But the 300 star refuses to accept he was brave: “I didn’t feel like a hero at all.

“I was initially gripped by fear and an empty feeling, thinking that the boy was dead.”

Contact Music

That is absolutely amazing – I admire anyone who will do that for a stranger. The most incredible story I’ve ever heard was one of a skydiver who was posthumously honored with a Star of Courage by Australia for giving his own life to save another.

On July 29, 2006 Melbourne woman Kimberley Dear was to have made her first skydive in America. But when engine failure caused the plane to plummet to the ground seconds after take-off, Mr (Robert) Cook, her instructor, clipped his skydive harness to hers and demanded she use his body as a mattress. He was killed on impact.

Still recovering physically and emotionally from the accident, Ms Dear said: “There aren’t many people who would put their life on the line for a stranger - you might do it for the people you love but would you do it for someone you just met?”

Sydney Morning Herald

It’s hard to believe that people can chose to save someone’s life at the cost of their own. I don’t know if I could risk my life for a complete stranger.

Gerard Butler is obviously reaped good karma from his rescue - his career has been going from strength to strength in recent years. He appears this summer in Nim’s Island.

Butler is rumored to be dating Cameron Diaz.

Gerard Butler is shown with his nieces at the premiere of Nim’s Island on 3/30/08, thanks to PRPhotos.

The Mirror is reporting that Cameron Diaz, 35, has been dating Scottish beefcake Gerard Butler, 38. I doubt this is true, not because I couldn’t see these two together, but because The Mirror has a tendency to make up and heavily embellish stories, and this seems to have originated with them. And unreliable Star Magazine reports this week that Butler was photographed having a romantic lunch and going for a walk on March 21 with actress Laura Harring, 44, who starred in Mulholland Drive. Maybe everyone is single and hanging out, or perhaps there’s something going with Butler and Diaz and/or Harring. For what it’s worth, here’s The Mirror’s report:

My spy in LA caught them sharing drinks at Shutters Hotel last week. He told me: “They walked up to the balcony area to look at the sunset. He had one arm round her waist and the other on the small of her back. She kept giggling and touching his chest to whisper in his ear. They obviously had a good night.”

Cameron, 35, and Butler, 38, have also been out at Teddy’s Bar in the Roosevelt Hotel in LA, where fellow clubbers say there was a lot of “thigh touching”.

And a couple of days before that they dined at The Chateau Marmont hotel.

[From The Mirror]

They could have been together several times, but I’ll wait and see on this one. There are places listed where they were sighted but the dates are not given, they’re just general like “last week” and “a couple of days” and those are all paparazzi hot spots. Wouldn’t there be pictures of them going into or out of those places, not necessarily together? The Mirror is so full of crap usually.

For her part, Diaz says she’s happily single, but acknowledges that she can be intimidating to men. (eyeroll)

She said: “It’s been nice not having a boyfriend for the past year. In fact, it’s the first time I haven’t had one in 10 years and I’m enjoying what I’m getting out of this moment.

“I could be in a relationship if I wanted to be but I haven’t finished doing what I’m doing. But when I’m in a relationship I’m very loyal and committed. I give a lot.”

“I do get asked out. It’s fun. But I’m a lot of woman - in a lot of ways.

“And I understand that can be intimidating.”

[From GQ interview via Stuff.co.nz]

Cameron probably sings “I’m every woman” in the shower in the morning while she lathers up.