Justin Timberlake 'spotted holding co-star's hand' in public

Married actor Justin Timberlake has been spotted getting close with new co-star Alisha Wainwright during a night out.

Wainwright, 30, was seen laying his hand on the singer's knee before he took hold of her hand, according to The Sun.

Timberlake — who is wed to actress Jessica Biel, 37, — was snapped with Wainwright around midnight drinking in a bar in New Orleans while on a break from filming.

Timberlake and Wainwright both star in the film Palmer in which they play lovers.

Fans were shocked to see him holding hands with the actress, risking upsetting his wife Biel of seven years.

One said: "They were smiling and laughing.

"At one stage he grabbed her hand and rested it on his knee. She then gently started stroking his leg.

"Then he clutched her hand with both of his and was playing with her hands."

However, a source close to Timberlake denied the story in a statement to Page Six.

"He was on an open balcony. They were among friends. It was nothing. There is 100 per cent nothing going on," the source said.

Timberlake was photographed wearing his wedding ring earlier this week but was not seen with it on during the night out.

This article was originally published at nzherald.co.nz and is reproduced here with permission