SAMUEL L JACKSON - JACKSON CONFIRMS NELLY AND ASHANTI RUMOURS

SAMUEL L JACKSON has added fuel to reports urban music stars NELLY and ASHANTI are dating, by confirming the rapper regularly visited her on the set of her new movie.

Ashanti has recently rubbished speculation she's being romanced by the HOT IN HERRE star, insisting it's "just people making up their own sitcom".

But Ashanti - who's currently shooting her feature film debut COACH CARTER alongside Jackson - has filled her spare time between takes with the almost ever-present rapper, and has even been fed special meals by him.

A source says, "Nelly would bring her organic vegetarian meals all the time because she didn't like the commissary food."

And Jackson himself adds, "Let's just say I ate more craft service because Nelly wasn't bringing food to me every day."

Insiders claim Ashanti is desperately trying to keep her romance with Nelly quiet to spare the feelings of her on/off beau and MURDER INC record label boss IRV GOTTI.

One adds, "Irv knows about Nelly. But Ashanti doesn't want to hurt Irv's feelings."