Sweethearts Candy Blog's

Chelsea Handler has denied dating 50 Cent, but for some reason, the two keep spending time together ... and get photographed while doing it.

The Chelsea Lately hostess and rapper were snapped lunching and walking in Malibu this weekend, marking the third time they've been photographed side-by-side. The first time, they were seen sitting close together in a lounge.

Handler responded to the dating rumors via Twitter, saying on October 6 that all the speculators should "calm down." She declared:

"Everyone, calm down. I met with mr. Cent about a potential project. There's nothing to report yet, ill let you know if there is.

50 was a bit more mysterious, fighting back a big old smile when asked by TMZ about the possibility of being Chelsea's squeeze.