Guy Ritchie's mother last night dismissed speculation that Madonna wants to divorce her son as ‘total tosh’.

Lady Amber Leighton said there was ‘no conversation about divorce because there is no divorce’ and described allegations that couple had spoken to lawyers as ‘works of fiction’.

She added: ‘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.

Divorce rumours: Madonna arrives for a Kabbalah service without her wedding ring

‘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.’

The couple are said to be leading separate lives and it has been stated that a formal announcement of a split has been planned for the end of November after Madonna finishes her world tour.

Total tosh: Guy's mother Lady Amber Leighton has dismissed divorce claims

But at her home near Somerton, Somerset, on Friday, Lady Leighton, 62, said: ‘I spoke to Guy this morning, not about divorce but about a new feature film project he has got under way.

'There’s no conversation about divorce because there is no divorce.

‘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.’

Madonna, 49, who is worth £300million, had been reported to have consulted top divorce lawyer Fiona Shackleton, who represented Sir Paul McCartney in his split from Heather Mills.

Mrs Shackleton’s office has refused to comment.

Meanwhile Mr Ritchie was said to have had informal talks with family law firm Forsters. But the firm would only say: ‘We are not instructed in this matter.’

Guy Ritchie and Madonna are rumoured to be living separate lives

The couple’s busy schedules mean they are unlikely to spend much time together this summer.

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Madonna and adopted son David attend Friday night prayers at the Kabbalah Centre in Manhattan

Madonna is said to be planning to flit between her homes in New York, Los Angeles and London.

She is also working to promote a world tour on the back of her latest album, Hard Candy, which starts in Europe in August, although ticket sales in America are sluggish.

Mr Ritchie has been editing his new gangster movie RocknRolla, due to be released in September.

Madonna has three children – Lourdes, 11, by former personal trainer Carlos Leon, Mr Ritchie’s son Rocco, seven, and David, two, who was adopted from Malawi.

David’s natural father Yohane Banda, 33, said he would prefer his son to be raised by Madonna than her husband if they separate.

The farmer, whose second wife is due to give birth to her first child any day, said: ‘I would say Madonna because when I was first approached I was told about Madonna wanting to take my son.

‘And every time people ask me about my son they say he is now Madonna’s child or has been taken by Madonna.

'So I think that if the two separate, my son should go to Madonna.’ He said any bid to get his son back was ‘out of the question’.