Jul 19, 2011 13:18 GMT  ·  By

There’s a new couple in town: reports suggest that Disney star Demi Lovato is dating actor Ryan Phillippe. They have been an item for quite some time now, it has been claimed.

Since she broke up from rumored boyfriend Wilmer Valderrama recently, Demi was on the market when she started going out with Ryan, who he is single too.

When his latest girlfriend gave birth to his child (probably) a couple of days ago, it put a damper on their relationship, AceShowbiz informs, citing ongoing reports in the press.

“Demi and Ryan allegedly began seeing each other ‘casually,’ but ‘quickly heated up.’ It was said that things ‘cooled a bit’ when Ryan's ex-girlfriend Alexis Knapp gave birth to his third child,” the e-zine writes.

“It kind of threw her for a loop,” an unnamed source is cited as saying.

Perhaps not wanting any aggravation right now, since he’s waiting for the paternity test to see whether the child his ex just had is really his, Ryan has already denied the report, though not through any of the official channels.

A source close to him is telling the glossies that there’s absolutely no truth to the above story, and that he and Demi were never an item.

“While E! reported that the unlikely pair got ‘really hot and heavy for a while,’ the inside source denied there was any romantic things going on between the two. The insider stressed that the report is ‘not true,’ before adding that the former husband of Reese Witherspoon is ‘totally single’,” AceShowbiz further says.

In other Demi Lovato-related news, the star is getting ready for her comeback in the spotlight. After taking some time to deal with personal issues (her eating disorders and the habit of cutting herself), Demi has released new music.

Just last week, she also premiered a video for her latest single, “Skyscraper,” a touching ballad about how one can rise from the ashes like the Phoenix bird on the condition that one has faith in oneself.