Tattoo artist-to-the-stars Kat Von D sparked an online gossip frenzy on Wednesday after confirming she was dating Sandra Bullock's bad boy ex Jesse James on Twitter - before removing the post minutes later.
 
The couple was recently spotted on a night out in Las Vegas, but Von D's representative dismissed reports of a romance, insisting the reality TV stars are "just friends."
 
However, Von D, who split from rocker Nikki Sixx earlier this summer, went public with the romance after taking to Twitter on Wednesday to announce the happy news.
 
The 28 year old told her followers "Yes, Jesse and I are dating."
 
She deleted the message soon afterwards but the post had already been retweeted by more than 100 people, and picked up by media outlets around the world.
 
If the romance is for real, it will be 41-year-old James' first romance since his marriage to Bullock fell apart in March amid reports he had cheated on the actress with a string of women.
 
One lover, Michelle 'Bombshell' McGee, went public with her 11-month-long fling with with the TV mechanic after she realized James had been lying to her about the status of his marriage.