Robert Pattinson And Kristen Stewart have denied persistent reports they're a real-life couple, with the latter calling the rumours “retarded”.

The pair have been romantically linked since the first Twilight movie, but have tended to skirt around the subject in interviews – until now.

Rob tells the new issue of Vanity Fair: “It doesn’t make any difference what you say [to the tabloids]. I’ve literally been across the country [from Kristen], and it’s like ‘Oh, they were on secret dates!’ It’s like ‘Where? I can’t get out of my hotel room!’ 

Kristen is typically more blunt in her appraisal of the make-believe romance: “It’s so retarded. We’re characters in this comic book,” she says.

But that's not to say that Rob doesn't have strong feelings for his co-star.

“She’s influenced how I’ve done all the Twilight stuff,” he says, referring to Kristen. “It’s quite nice to have someone who is genuinely indifferent to the whole spectacle of everything.”

The pair are currently on different continents promoting New Moon, with Rob in Japan and Kristen hitting the Twiligh trail with Taylor Lautner in Brazil.

Rob and Kristen in pictures