Denise Richards has two daughters, Sam and Lola, with her ex-husband Charlie Sheen, and she admits she sometimes tells them white lies when she goes out to meet men.

She said: "When I go on dates, I tell Sam and Lola I have a meeting."

The 39-year-old beauty also confessed she has a "soft spot" for unwell and injured animals, and is currently looking after three canine cuties.

She added to Us magazine: "I have a three-legged dog, a blind dog and one with terminal cancer. I have a soft spot for hard-to-place animals!"

Despite not always being truthful about her romantic liaisons, Denise recently explained she likes to be a "hands-on" parent to Sam and Lola, because they are always her number one priority.

She said: "I'm definitely a hands-on mom. For me it's about priorities, and my girls always come first. I look at it as having a harmonious house more than balancing -- it's never quite balanced!

"I have a rule -- I won't introduce my girls to anyone I'm dating unless it's very serious."