Celebrity Mound

Notoriously private actor George Clooney has spoken out to dismiss reports his ex-girlfriend Elisabetta Canalis sent a him a series of angry texts after learning of his reported new romance? Oh yeah George, she was thrilled about it I’m sure.

The Hollywood hunk split from Canalis in June (11) and he is now rumoured to be dating former female wrestler Stacy Keibler.

A report in US Weekly magazine this week suggested Canalis was unhappy to learn about Clooney’s new girl, and sent text messages to his cell phone expressing her dismay at the reports.

Clooney has now taken the unusual step of commenting on his romantic life to dismiss the rumors, and has demanded reporters correct their story.

He tells Tmz.com, “(The report) was completely fabricated in order to sell magazines. I never comment on my personal life unless it affects others… and this lie affects others.

“Since I would be the only actual witness, I ask you to correct your story immediately, but that would assume you cared at all about telling the truth.”

When former WWE wrestler and actress Stacy Keibler drove her Mercedes through the gates to George Clooney’s Studio City, Calif., home Sunday, she seems to have unwittingly confirmed that the two are dating.

“It’s more than just a fling,” a source told USmagazine.com, adding that the odd pair have known one another for a number of years and have even vacationed together in London and at Clooney’s home in Italy.

It was just a quick trip in California, though, that has people talking: As of Monday morning, a day after Keibler arrived at Clooney’s home, she had yet to leave.

If the two are camping out together in Clooney’s love nest, it’s been a long time in the making. They met in 2006 at an Oscars party and struck up a longtime friendship when the “Up In The Air” star approached Keibler and told her he recognized her from her role on the “Dancing With the Stars.”

“It’s so funny,” she told People magazine at the time. “George Clooney came up to me, and he was like, ‘You’re so great. You should win.’ And I said, ‘You watch “Dancing with the Stars”?’”

Clooney, who has over the years been linked to various ladies, recently split with his girlfriend of two years, Elisabetta Canalis, leaving him wide open for a beauty like Keibler to stake her claim.

Reps for the star had been in negotiations with Coty Inc. about developing his own fragrance, but the talks turned to mist after his camp demanded a multiyear deal worth more than $30 million, sources say.

One said, “George seemed to be not that keen, unless the deal really made it worth his while. But Coty pulled out, saying this figure made the deal impossible.”

Coty has developed fragrances for celebrities, including Sarah Jessica Parker, Kate Moss, Kylie Minogue, Tim McGraw, Halle Berry, Jennifer Lopez, David and Victoria Beckham, Celine Dion and Faith Hill. A rep for Clooney said his commercial agent couldn’t be reached, and Coty declined to comment. Clooney, 49, is currently filming “Ides of March” in Miami.

George Clooney has recovered from the malaria he contracted earlier this month during a visit to Sudan.

Publicist Stan Rosenfield says it was the actor’s second bout with the disease.

Clooney is set to discuss the condition and his work in Africa on Piers Morgan’s CNN show Friday.

The actor says his own experience with the disease shows how proper medication can turn “the most lethal condition in Africa” into “a bad 10 days instead of a death sentence.”