In an unfortunate case of life imitating art, Californication star David Duchovny has been admitted to a rehab clinic for sex addiction.

The married American actor, who plays a sex-obsessed womaniser on the racy Five series, today confirmed through his lawyer that he was receiving treatment.

"I have voluntarily entered a facility for the treatment of sex addiction.

“I ask for respect and privacy for my wife and children as we deal with this situation as a family."

At the beginning of his career, Duchovny, 48, starred in the erotic TV series, Red Shoe Diaries, before finding worldwide fame as Special Agent Fox Mulder in TV hit The X Files.

The Emmy-nominated star was known for his love of women before marrying Deep Impact actress Tea Leoni in 1997. The pair have a son and a daughter.

In an interview with The Sunday Times last year, the actor rubbished the labelling of his Californication character, who bounces from casual liasion to casual liasion, as a sex addict.

“People always want to rush to say, ‘He’s an addict.’ People have called this character a sex addict, and to me that’s weird. It’s been written that you can be a sex addict within a marriage.”

But discussing his marriage in an earlier interview he likened women to drugs. “It was a turning point in my life. A conjunction of timing, maturity, luck and attraction. All the pieces fell into place. When you’re married you have to deal with yourself. You can’t sublimate your pain with drugs and other women. Or should that be women and other drugs?”

Duchovny also said he did not enjoy filming the programme’s many sex scenes.

“The sex scenes are especially unsexy. They’re just awkward, you know. Some people might be turned on by awkwardness. I’m not one of those guys. There are ten sweaty guys hanging lights over you while you…”

With the second series of the show due to to air in the US next month, the network Showtime, which broadcasts Californication, released a statement: "All of us at Showtime wish David and his family the best during this very private time."

It has been a year of ups and downs for Duchovny. In January he won a Golden Globe for his role in Californication, but in July the long-awaited X Files film sequel flopped. The movie was critically panned and, despite The X Files’ famously loyal fan base, bombed at the box office.

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