Macaulay Culkin dismayed by heroin addiction claims

Macaulay Culkin has denied spending thousands of dollars a month on heroin.

In 2012, the former child star was reported by National Enquirer magazine of developing a serious addiction to the drug and claimed he was blowing around $6,000 (£4,525) a month on feeding his habit.

Culkin insists the claims were inaccurate and he scoffs at the suggestion the friend who passed on the ‘information’ to the publication was doing so to help him.

When asked whether people were right to be worried about him back then, he said: "Not necessarily."

He added to The Guardian newspaper: "Of course, when silly stuff is going on – but no, I was not pounding six grand worth of heroin every month or whatever. The thing that bugged me was tabloids wrapping it all in this weird guise of concern. No, you’re trying to shift papers."

Culkin hinted he may be prepared to share his side of the story in the future.

When quizzed on whether he would one day tell-all on his life back then, he stated: "Perhaps."

Culkin endured a spectacular fall from grace following his appearances in hit movies such as ‘Uncle Buck’, ‘Home Alone’ and ‘My Girl’ as a kid.

His spiral culminated in being arrested for possession of marijuana, Xanax and clonazepam in 2004 and moving away from acting to take jobs as a roadie for touring rock bands.

Culkin – who had a friendship with Michael Jackson – has no regrets about the path his life has taken, and accepts to so many people he will always be fresh-faced prankster Kevin McCallister from ‘Home Alone’.

He said: "It’s allowed me to become the person I am, and I like me, so I wouldn’t change a thing."

Discussing how he copes with all the attention from the public, he explained: "It’s been like that my whole adult life. You take on a prey-like attitude, always scanning the horizon. It’s strange on dates, as it looks like you’re not paying attention. But I’ve stopped trying to think of myself in the third person, because that’s just gonna drive me nuts.

"Macaulay Culkin is out there, and I’m Mac. You guys can play with the first one."