Richard Wilkins' son might have just revealed his dad's 'secret' Hollywood ex. Oops.

In his more than two decades as an entertainment reporter, Channel 9’s Richard Wilkins has witnessed the ruthlessness of the rumour mill up close.

But this morning it was his own private life being hauled to the surface.

The 62-year-old's son, Christian 'Prince' Wilkins, was grilled by KIIS FM breakfast radio Hosts Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O Henderson about the speculation that the veteran television personality once had a relationship with one of Hollywood's biggest names.

"Who's that girl that he dated?" asked Sandilands. "It was a secret... it was a movie star."

"Eva Mendes," said Henderson.

(Yes, that's Eva Mendes as in The Other Guys actress and partner of tap-dancing, piano-playing Hollywood dreamboat Ryan Gosling.)

"You call her Aunty Eva?" quipped Sandilands.

"Oh, I actually didn't even realise that was public knowledge. So there you go," the 21-year-old model said.

"I don't think it is," said Sandilands. (Post continues after gallery.)

"In my old age I confuse what the public know and what I know."

Wilkins and Mendes crossed paths professionally several times in 2009 and again in 2011.

Later that year, the now-42-year-old actress began dating Gosling, with whom she has since had two children.

A Channel 9 spokesperson has insisted that young Mr Wilkins was "definitely joking" about any implied relationship between the star and his father.

But either way, he's probably still going to be in trouble when he gets home.