chat show legend Merv Griffin just six months after husband Ronald Reagan's

death.

Reports of the 83-year-old's imminent marriage to her close friend Griffin--who supported her after the late U.S. President lost his battle with Alzheimer's disease--were sparked by Audrey Hepburn's former husband Mel Ferrer, who claimed his pal and Reagan's wedding would be a symbol of their friendship.

Ferrer said, "Merv has always been there when she needed someone.Nancy understands Merv better than anyone and she dearly loves him as afriend. The marriage will be a marriage of friendship."

But Reagan's spokesman has hit back at Ferrer's comments, dismissing them as

"total rubbish".

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