It is a story that has even drawn controversy in the hard-to-shock world of Hollywood.

And Morgan Freeman spoke out today to shoot down claims he is set to marry his step-granddaughter.

The 74-year-old Unforgiven star said he has never had a romantic relationship with E’Dena Hines, 27, who is a descendant of his first wife Jeanette Adair Bradshaw.

Speaking out: Morgan Freeman, pictured here holding hands with step-granddaughter E’Dena Hines in 2008, has denied he is set to marry her

There have been rumours about the pair being together for years, but he had never spoken about the claims until now.

He said: ‘The recent reports of any pending marriage or romantic relationship of me to anyone are defamatory fabrications from the tabloid media designed to sell papers.

‘What is even more alarming is that these fabrications are now being picked up by the legitimate press as well.’

Morgan was fuming when reports emerged claiming he and Hines were going to marry.

It had been claimed they have been dating for around 10 years and were planning to tie the knot in the near future.

The father-of-four’s stance has been backed up by E’Dena, who issued a statement of her own.

Old flame: E’Dena is the granddaughter of Morgan’s first wife Jeanette Adair Bradshaw, seen here with the star in 1978

She said: ‘These stories about me and my grandfather are not only untrue, they are also hurtful to me and my family.’

Morgan was married to Jeanette Adair Bradshaw from 1967 until 1979.

He then married costume designer Myrna Colley-Lee on June 16, 1984, and it was in 2009 during their messy divorce that the allegations about the Deep Impact favourite emerged.

If the rumours had been true the relationship would have shared eerie similarities to the one between Woody Allen and his now wife Soon-Yi Previn.

She was the adopted daughter of the director’s long-time partner Mia Farrow, who he was with from 1980, until she learned they had became lovers in 1992.

It led to a storm of publicity about their relationship, though they later got married in 1997.