Bipasha Basu denies lip-lock with Cristiano Ronaldo

The Bipasha Basu-Cristiano Ronaldo interaction in Lisbon over the last weekend is threatening to snowball into a scandal the likes of which Bollywood has not yet seen.

Hours after a London tabloid ran a front page photograph of the Portuguese soccer star kissing the actress, and the same photograph went on the net, an outraged Bipasha struggled to control the damage to her image in Mumbai.

"All the joy of that meeting with my favourite footballer has evaporated," said Bipasha bitterly. She was in Lisbon to announce the new Seven Wonders of the World on July 7, when she met the Manchester United striker who is fast overtaking David Beckham in the world soccer popularity stakes.

Then, with real vehemence, Bipasha lashed out, "For God's sake, that photograph just cannot be taken seriously! Is that how newspapers define a lip-lock? I'm horrified. Suddenly, because of that photograph, I am internationally famous. But do I want fame at this cost?"

But, is she denying that Ronaldo kissed her?

"The photograph is not doctored, obviously somebody clicked us on a cellphone, but we were just dancing in a crowded disco. This is not a kiss! I cannot even say I was drunk and don't know when and how this happened. Ronaldo had leaned over to say something in my ear, and the camera caught him at that inopportune moment, that's what this is," explained a disgusted Bipasha.

Then, getting on the offensive, she fired, "I don't need to explain my behaviour. I'm a free-spirited person. But I'm not footloose. It takes me a long time to become close to anyone. I'm certainly not some giddy-headed teenager who would get so carried away in Ronaldo's company that I'd kiss him in public. Even if I was single, I would not get carried away at my first meeting with a 22-year-old boy, no matter how big a celebrity he is, to misbehave with him in public."

John Abraham, meanwhile, who must no doubt be eating his heart out over whether the handsome Portuguese soccer star scored with his girlfriend, was unavailable for comment.

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