Jennifer Aniston has taken the unusual step of talking about marriage and children - and insists she's not ready for either.

Gossip has been rife for some time now as Aniston continues to date actor Justin Theroux (above, second photo).

But in a press conference to promote her new TV movie Five, the Hollywood star, 42, said she was not about to settle down in any serious way.

"No, we're not pregnant," Aniston told Hello! magazine at the conference. "... I am not planning to get married any time soon. This ring that I'm wearing is not an engagement ring."

The actress said she had "gained a couple of pounds" in recent months because "I quit smoking."

""I've been married once," she went on, in reference to her marriage to Brad Pitt, which ended in 2005. "And I don’t know if I’ll get married again, but I can tell you that as of this very moment, as of today, I have no plan to get married. Got that?"

"So, not pregnant and not getting married any time in the near future that I'm aware of. You see? All it takes to get the truth is to ask me!" she added.

Aniston and Theroux began dating in the spring.

Actor Ben Stiller recently talked about the couple, saying, "They seem to be really happy together. They're both great people. I love them both."

Jennifer Aniston denies pregnancy rumours