Wilson asks to "heal" after suicide reports

By Bob Tourtellotte

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Oscar-nominated film star Owen Wilson, best known for comedies like "Wedding Crashers," sought time on Monday to "heal in private" after media reports claimed he was hospitalized for a suicide attempt.

"I respectfully ask that the media allow me to receive care and heal in private during this difficult time," Wilson, 38, said in a statement released to Reuters.

A fire department official in Santa Monica, California, a beachside community adjacent to Los Angeles, told Reuters that late on Sunday firemen and police officers went to Wilson's home and transported a person to a local hospital where he was treated. The official declined to name Wilson.

Various news reports said Wilson was transferred to Cedars Sinai Medical Centre in the Beverly Hills area, but hospital officials declined to comment, citing confidentiality.

Celebrity magazine People reported Wilson's brother Luke, who is also an actor, and other family members were seen at Cedars Sinai.

U.S. tabloids Star magazine and National Enquirer cited unnamed sources as saying Wilson tried to commit suicide by cutting his wrist and taking drugs. Star said he was discovered by a family member, who called for help.

Wilson's spokeswoman, Ina Treciokas, declined to elaborate on the actor's statement or discuss his medical condition.

COMEDY ACTOR, SERIOUS WRITER