(Cover) - EN Showbiz - Matthew Fox has denied ever hitting a woman after being cleared of physical assault against a mother-of-three.

The 46-year-old actor was accused of punching Cleveland, Ohio bus driver Heather Bormann in a suit filed against him last year.

Lost co-star Dominic Monaghan subsequently took to Twitter, calling Matthew a "woman beater" a title the actor fiercely rejects.

"It's been a long, trying year of sitting on my hands on a lot of negative s**t said about me, when they're the furthest things from who I am," Matthew told Men's Fitness, adding, "In the 46 years I've been breathing on this planet, I have never hit a woman before. Never have, never will."

Heather alleged Matthew struck her in the breast, arm, leg and groin after trying to board her vehicle.

He countersued, claiming she fabricated the story. Heather withdrew her case.

But Matthew admits the incident has cast a dark shadow over his career.

"I think there's still gonna be a lot of people out there who'll think it's true no matter what," he said.

"The Cleveland situation, the [Dominick] Monaghan situation was a pile of b******t, and I'm not gonna waste too much breath on that." (C) Cover Media