A post shared by rayvercruz (@rayvercruz) on Apr 10, 2017 at 10:50am PDT

Janine Gutierrez has denied suggestions she is dating Rayver Cruz, saying work is her priority over having a relationship.

Speaking with Pep.ph, Gutierrez insisted that she does not have a boyfriend amid persistent rumors linking him with the actor.

She then explained that while she and Cruz go out from time to time together with friends, fans shouldn't look too much into it.

Citing a specific instance where they visited a friend's mother who was hospitalized, she shared: "Iyong mommy ng friend ko, naglambing na gusto daw niyang makilala si Rayver. ...Siyempre, kasi siya si Rayver at alam niya na friends kaming lahat."

Gutierrez added that she remains focused on her career. "Work pa rin po talaga. Actually, minsan lang talaga ako may libreng araw."

Asked if the idea of her dating Cruz is as far-fetched as she makes it out to be, she teased: "Tingnan natin."

In the same interview, she describes Cruz as a funny guy.