Madonna's A-Rod dinner

Nov 11, 2008, 10:55 GMT

Madonna has reportedly introduced rumoured boyfriend Alex 'A-Rod' Rodriguez to her friends.

The 'Miles Away' singer hosted a dinner party at her New York home so her closest pals could get to know the baseball star, much to estranged husband Guy Ritchie's annoyance.

A source told Britain's Daily Mirror newspaper: "It is a massive slap in the face for Guy. Both he and Madonna share a lot of mutual friends who they still keep in touch with.

"Guy found out through one of them about this party and was pretty annoyed. He thought it showed a great deal of disrespect to him."

Madonna's guest list reportedly included socialite Ingrid Casares and music producer Victor Calderone.

She and Guy announced they are divorcing after almost eight years of marriage last month, following months of speculation about their marriage.

Madonna's friendship with 'A-Rod' has frequently been cited as a catalyst for the break-up, although she has always denied there is any romantic link between them.

The source added: "The flurry of stories over the summer were acutely embarrassing for Guy. He wanted to speak up and say that he and Madonna were no longer together. But he was told that he had to wait until Madonna's tour was finished.

"In the end, the charade got too much and Guy said it all had to end. As a result, there's no love lost between Guy and 'A-Rod' and the thought of him being introduced to all their mutual friends is just too much."

Meanwhile, it has also been claimed 'A-Rod' will join Madonna on the South America leg of her 'Sticky and Sweet' tour.

The 33-year-old sportsman is set to visit Brazil, Chile and Argentina with the 50-year-old singer.

A source said: "Alex is thinking about following Madonna to South America next month."