Abbie Cornish's 'difficult' romance

Aug 14, 2009, 9:37 GMT

Australian actress Abbie Cornish "In a normal successful career, someone usually learns these things bit by bit. For me, it was like night and day. I woke up one day and there was this whole new thing I had to process and deal with."EPA/IAN LANGSDON

Abbie Cornish says starting her relationship with Ryan Phillippe was "a difficult time".

The 27-year-old actress - who began dating the screen hunk after meeting him on the set of 2006 movie 'Stop Loss', prompting speculation she played a part in the breakdown of Ryan's marriage to Reese Witherspoon - was unprepared for the intense scrutiny their romance attracted.

She explained: "It was a really difficult time for me. I was thrust into this realm of paparazzi and coverage that I'd never been exposed to.

"In a normal successful career, someone usually learns these things bit by bit. For me, it was like night and day. I woke up one day and there was this whole new thing I had to process and deal with."

Abbie and 34-year-old Ryan - who has two children, Ava, nine, and five-year-old Deacon, with ex-wife Reese - now live together in Los Angeles.

The Australian star - who has remained tight-lipped on whether she and Ryan are planning to wed - moved to the US city solely for her relationship, but insists it was the right decision.

She told W magazine: "It was love that brought me here, not work. I think the city feels and looks a little bit different because of that."