Hartnett plays down Antipodean romance

Hollywood hunk Josh Hartnett has denied rumours of an on-set romance after returning to New Zealand from his cosy weekend away with a co-star.

The Pearl Harbour actor was spotted in Sydney, Australia over the weekend with a mystery woman, fuelling speculation his romance with Scarlett Johansson is on the rocks.

According to Sydney's Daily Telegraph, Hartnett's companion was New Zealand actress Amber Sainsbury, who has a small role in the thriller he is currently shooting, 30 Days of Night.

Sources say Hartnett shot down talk of a romance with his 26-year-old co-star to fellow cast and crew members, insisting the pair are just friends and that he actually met her boyfriend.

Although he denies any romance, the pair were reportedly getting cosy during their weekend away at Woolloomooloo hotel Blue.

Hartnett was spotted with his arm around Sainsbury as they left Darlinghurst café Forbes and Burton on Sunday morning after having breakfast there for the second day in a row.

An onlooker says: "Josh got jumped on by a few different people to get photos taken, so she went outside the café.

"But when he eventually went out he put his arm around her as they walked across the street. There was a level of intimacy there."

When Paparazzi caught up with the couple as they were flying out of Sydney on Sunday night Sainsbury tried to cover her face with her jacket and bag.