'Notorious' Ryan Phillippe

Feb 18, 2008, 7:35 GMT

Ryan Phillippe claims being Reese Witherspoon's ex-husband attracts a certain amount of "notoriety".

The 'Cruel Intentions' actor - who split from the Oscar-winning actress in 2006 - says having a history with one of the world's biggest movie stars means he is always under scrutiny.

He said: "I want my work to be fulfilling and interesting, and that's it. It's not about chasing a pay cheque, or chasing the lights. The only reason I attract paparazzi at a supermarket is because I was married to the highest-paid actress in the world. Even though I'm not with her any longer, there is a certain amount of notoriety that I guess sticks beyond."

Ryan - who has two children, Ava, eight, and four-year-old son Deacon with Reese - also revealed he struggled to cope with the marriage breakdown because it was so public.

He added to W magazine: "If you are going through the worst time of your life, the last thing you ever want is for the rest of the world to have an opinion about it, or feel like they have a say. That is the primary struggle with being famous.

"You still have to live and deal with it in your own personal way, but you also have to accept and understand that it's public knowledge."

(C) BANG Media International