Los Angeles, April 10 - Socialite Nicole Richie has rubbished reports that she is pregnant with her third child, saying speculation about her fuller figure is "mean" and "cruel".

Richie, who already has two children - Harlow, 3, and 18-month-old Sparrow, with her rocker husband Joel Madden, prompted reports that she was pregnant after she was photographed in Los Angeles sporting what appeared to be a small baby bump last week.

"Contrary to recent speculation, I am not pregnant. This irresponsible reporting continues to feed an atmosphere of self-doubt and insecurity. To publicly point out a change in anyone's body is mean spirited and cruel. People's bodies change and change again," usmagazine. com quoted her as saying.

"This is not newsworthy and is a waste of valuable media space that should be used for more important issues," she added. (IANS)