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The same day news of her relationship with New York Yankee Alex Rodriguez spread, Madonna stepped out holding hands with husband Guy Ritchie in New York City.

Looking tense, Ritchie, 39, carried the singer’s over-sized Louis Vuitton bag as they headed into her Central Park West apartment following dinner Tuesday night. Madonna, 49, who appeared exhausted, covered her mouth.

The two usually enter their building through a side door but walked through the front door for photographers.

The couple — who were last photographed together June 3 after dining at Italian eatery Locanda Locatelli in London — have been dogged by split rumors lately.

The venerable Times of London reported that the singer consulted the same high-profile divorce attorney who worked with Paul McCartney and Prince Charles.

Us Weekly also reports that the singer has also been hosting late-night visits from Rodriguez, 32, at her apartment.

A source tells Us that their relationship grew so close, he he even visited her, possibly as early as the night after his wife Cynthia gave birth to their first child in April.

Despite Madonna’s rep downplaying their relationship, it is clear that the singer and ballplayer have gotten tight.

Rodriguez — who shares the same manager, Guy Osery, as Madonna — hit an after-party for Richie’s film Revolver.

They also dined together — along with Osery — February 17 at Girgio Baldi in Santa Monica.

That same month, Madonna even introduced Rodriguez to her daughter Lourdes at a United Nations benefit for her Raising Malawi charity and UNICEF.

“This is Alex,” she said to Lourdes, New York’s Daily News reports. “He’s a baseball player.”

“Maybe you can come and see me play sometime,” he told an unimpressed Lourdes.

“She’s not that into baseball,” Madonna replied.

Rodriguez also attended her concert at Roseland Ballroom in April and later tried to dirty dance with her at NYC hot spot The Box.

On June 22, Madonna, her kids and Osery all sat in Rodriguez’s Yankee Stadium box seats during a game against the Boston Red Sox.

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Madonna’s spokeswoman has released an exclusive statement to PEOPLE rejecting reports that the singer’s marriage to her film director husband Guy Ritchie is on the rocks.

“Madonna’s husband Guy arrived in New York last night to be with his wife and family (not in a last ditch attempt to save his marriage which does not need saving),” Liz Rosenberg told PEOPLE. “There are no plans for Madonna and Guy to divorce.”

Rosenberg also denied a published report of a relationship between the singer and New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez.

“Madonna and Alex have the same manager, Guy Oseary,” Rosenberg says. “They have met. They know each other and Madonna took her kids to a Yankees game last week. There’s really not anything to comment on beyond that.”

Adds Rosenberg: “It’s nothing new that people are airing tons of dirty laundry Madonna’s way lately – much of it untrue.” She joked: “By the way, rumors of Madonna and Lil Wayne are quite exaggerated, as well.”

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A spokesperson for Madonna has dismissed reports the star’s recent appearance without her wedding ring is an indicator that her marriage to Guy Ritchie is in trouble.

The couple has been under constant scrutiny from the media ever since rumours emerged that they are allegedly on the verge of a divorce.

And Madonna fuelled speculation of a split by appearing in public in New York without a band on her left hand.

But the pop star’s representative, Liz Rosenbery, has explained the photographs, telling People.com, “Madonna has rarely worn a wedding band over these last six years, so there’s no secret message about that.”

The beleaguered pair is expected to try to dispel the divorce rumors by putting on a united front this week after Ritchie flew to the Big Apple to join his wife on Monday.

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A ringless Guy Richie was photographed Monday at London’s Heathrow Airport for a flight to New York, presumably to meet up with Madonna.

The two spent this past weekend apart as split rumors swirl.

Looking anguished, Madonna, 49 attended Sabbath service at the Kabbalah Centre in NYC on Friday and Saturday (along with her three children and daughter Lourdes’ biological dad Carlos Leon).

The singer — who was not wearing a wedding ring — ignored photographers’ repeated questions if divorce rumors were true.

As the singer prayed Saturday, Richie, 39, turned to pal Trudie Styler (who introduced him to Madonna) for support in London.

Madonna and Richie haven’t been spotted together in weeks (they were last photographed at London’s Kabbalah Centre on June 3).

Last week, The Times of London reported that she had met with high-powered British divorce attorney Fiona Shackleton, who represented Paul McCartney in his split from Heather Mills.

According to The Times, Richie has been meeting with a lesser-known law firm, Forsters

It is believed that the couple (who wed in 2000) did not have a prenup, according to The Times. (Madonna is worth an estimated $600 million.)

Richie’s mother, Lady Amber Leighton, denied any split rumors in an interview with London’s Mail On Sunday.

“They are no different to most other couples and we all know that being together can be hard sometimes and marriages are not always a bed of roses,” she said.

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Guy Ritchie’s mother has hit out at reports her son wants to divorce his singer wife Madonna, branding the rumours “works of fiction” dreamed up by the media.

The superstar couple has been plagued by speculation of a split for months, and reports heated up last week when it was claimed the pair had begun to seek legal advice from top lawyers.

But Ritchie’s mother, Lady Amber Leighton, has been in contact with her filmmaker son and insists the couple have no intention to part ways.

The 62-year-old says, “It is absolute rubbish, worse than that. Guy will be furious at me talking to you but I feel I can’t just let these reports go unanswered as they make me so angry and they are hurtful intrusions into their private lives. They are no different to most other couples and we all know that being together can be hard sometimes and marriages are not always a bed of roses. But like other couples they work at keeping their relationship happy and fresh and they are a close and loving couple who have a family to bring up.”

She adds, “Madonna is in New York at the moment finishing off a tour and he will join her there after the weekend. That is not a couple splitting up. I’ll say it one more time, they are not getting divorced; the speculation is TT – that’s total tosh (untrue).”

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Madonna has met with high-powered British divorce attorney Fiona Shackleton, The Times of London reports.

(Shackleton represented Paul McCartney in his split from Heather Mills. He ended up paying Mills only $48.6 million of the $160 million sought by Mills.)

One lawyer told The Times that Madonna, 49, had met with Shackleton after approaching another firm. (Guy Ritchie, 39, had been rumored “to have had dealings with a lesser-known Mayfair law firm, Forsters,” according to The Times.)

When contacted by Usmagazine.com, her rep said: “No comment at this time, darling.”

It is believed that the couple (who wed in 2000) did not have a prenup, according to The Times. (Madonna is worth an estimated $600 million.)

Breakup rumors have rocked the couple for years.

In the May issue of U.K. Elle, Madonna denied martial strife.

“I had to marry a challenge because otherwise I would just get bored,” she said. “Whatever else Guy is, he’s never boring … We’re both there to help each other and challenge each other.”

She added that she dedicated the love song “Incredible” (on her latest disc Hard Candy) to him.

“Sex with Guy is incredible,” she confessed. “And surprise, surprise, it’s his favorite song on the album. Actually, maybe it’s not his favorite song, but it’s definitely his favorite line.”

They have two children together: Rocco Ritchie, 7, and David Banda, 21 months, whom they adopted in Malawi in 2006. The adoption was finalized last month.

Madonna has a daughter, Lourdes, 11, from a previous relationship with fitness instructor Carlos Leon.

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