(Cover) - EN Showbiz - Ryan Phillippes mother phones him sounding devastated whenever she hears people calling him a tool.

The actor has two children with his ex-wife Reese Witherspoon, and is now dating Amanda Seyfried. He has also been in a relationship with Abbie Cornish, and is often referred to as a ladies man by his detractors.

The 36-year-old knows a certain level of criticism comes with his job, but he finds it hard when his mother hears mean things about him. She finds nasty comments difficult to cope with, and always rings to ask him why people are rude to him.

[My parents] pay way too much attention [to the rumours]. My mother, who recently had surgery, shes not in the best of health. Shes recovering. She spends all day in front of the computer. Every other day or so, Ill see her name come up on the caller ID and pre-emptily open my laptop knowing shes going to want to address whatever rumour she has read recently, he told US talk show host Ellen DeGeneres. She also gets really, really upset. You know, sometimes they write some pretty negative stuff about you or in the comments theyll say some mean things. She doesnt like that. Shes always like, Ryan, why are they calling you a tool? Why do they think youre a jerk? Im like, Ma, they say that about everybody!

Ryan admits sometimes the comments can cause embarrassing questions. She recently called him to ask about an acronym shed seen used in relation to him, and despite being a grown man, he found it hard to discuss with her.

She took particular umbrage with this. She said, I always read in the comments that they call you a D.I.L.F. She goes, I dont like that. I dont know what that means but I dont like. What is that Ryan? And I go, Well, actually Mom, that means I am a dad that theyd like to have sex with. And then I hear my dad in the background, Susan, did he tell you what a D.I.L.F is? And shes like, Yes, it means they want to have sex with him.

I think shes embraced D.I.L.F.

Ryan added that his love life is nowhere near as colourful as it seems, although he is dating. He stopped short of saying hes in a relationship, but revealing hes drawn to women who are strong and self possessed. (C) Cover Media