Just how close 'friends' are Madonna and A-Rod?

Reports that Yankees superstar Alex Rodriguez and Madonna have become close just as their marriages are disintegrating have both the celebrity gossip industry and the sporting world--each a chatty bunch--buzzing with questions about the two "friends."

A third boldface name was added to the saga when Rodriguez's wife fled from New York to the Paris home of rocker Lenny Kravitz, who denied anything improper had happened with the slugger's wife.

Rodriguez remained mum. He signed a couple of autographs before Thursday night's game at Yankee Stadium against Boston, but didn't take questions from a pack of reporters.

The whole story began last week amid tabloid stories that Madonna, who is married to the British filmmaker Guy Ritchie, had consulted a high-profile London divorce attorney. On Tuesday her publicist issued a statement saying Madonna's marriage was not in jeopardy. Then Us Weekly magazine reported that Rodriguez, 32, has been making late-night visits to the Manhattan apartment of Madonna, 49.

Janice Min, editor-in-chief of Us Weekly, said the magazine was "100 percent" confident in its story, which she said was based on multiple sources.

Min said Us Weekly has been careful not to overstate what's known of the relationship, which the latest issue labels a "hot new friendship."

"The facts are that he comes to her apartment late at night, that they have a friendship, that she had never been photographed at a Yankees game until she was photographed in A-Rod's seats," Min said. "I think from those facts we put forth, a lot of people would infer that something more is going on."

Madonna's publicist, Liz Rosenberg, acknowledged the two know each other after meeting at a charity event, but denied any romance. Rodriguez has refused to even address the topic when questioned by reporters, leading some to wonder if he could indeed be involved in the biggest Yankee romance since Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe.

On Thursday, the New York Daily News reported that Rodriguez and wife Cynthia have separated, citing an anonymous source. They were married in 2002 and have two children, Natasha Alexander and Ella Alexander. Then came news that Cynthia visited Kravitz in Paris.