Owen Wilson Denies Stealing 'Dupree'

Actor Owen Wilson has denied any connection between his new movie, "You, Me and Dupree," and 1970s supergroup Steely Dan, a spokesman for the actor said Friday.

The band recently posted a letter on its Web site claiming that Wilson's Dupree character was based on its Grammy-winning song, "Cousin Dupree," about a couch-hopping houseguest.

In a statement released by his spokeswoman, Ina Treciokas, Wilson said: "I have never heard the song 'Cousin Dupree' and I don't even know who this gentleman, Mr. Steely Dan, is. I hope this helps to clear things up and I can get back to concentrating on my new movie, 'HEY 19.' "

Larry Solters, a spokesman for the band's management company, had no comment.

Steely Dan released a string of hits in the '70s, including "Hey Nineteen," "Reeling in the Years" and "Rikki, Don't Lose That Number."

"There are some pretty heavy people who are upset about this whole thing, and we can't guarantee what kind of heat little Owen may be bringing down on himself," band leaders Walter Becker and Donald Fagen wrote in the letter.

The band asked Wilson, 37, to appear at a concert to apologize to their fans.

"You, Me and Dupree" co-stars Kate Hudson and Matt Dillon as a newlywed couple annoyed by Dupree, a friend who crashes on their couch.

In 2001, "Cousin Dupree" won a Grammy for best pop performance by a duo or group from Steely Dan's album "Two Against Nature," which earned album of the year honors.