ALMOST FAMOUS - CRUDUP LEAVES WIFE FOR CLARE DANES?

ALMOST FAMOUS actor BILLY CRUDUP has left his pregnant partner MARY LOUISE PARKER to begin a romance with longterm pal CLARE DANES, according to reports in his native America.

Crudup - who has known the TERMINATOR 3: RISE OF THE MACHINES actress for years - has been with Parker for seven years and she is currently in the late stages of pregnancy with their first child.

However, according to website PAGE SIX.COM, Crudup, 35, and 24-year-old Danes have become much closer as they work on upcoming movie COMPLEAT FEMALE STAGE BEAUTY, prompting both to leave their longterm loves.

Danes has been dating Australian rocker BEN LEE for many years and their relationship was thought to be one of the strongest celebrity pairings.

But a source tells the website, "They (Crudup and Danes) have been friends for years. They share the same agent and know each other from the New York scene, but they never got romantically involved until they starred in this last movie together."

Another adds, "Claire left Ben Lee, and she and Billy say they are now in love. Everyone is appalled with Billy and what he has done to Mary Louise."