Freida Pinto and Dev Patel are 'best friends'

Freida Pinto and Dev Patel may no longer be romantically involved, but the actress says they are still "best friends".

The 'Slumdog Millionaire' co-stars ended their six-year relationship last September but the 30-year-old actress insists they are still close.

She said: "Dev and I are best friends. That's never going to change."

And the 'Desert Dancer' star stressed she and the 24-year-old actor are "facing" and "dealing with" the reasons for their break-up.

She told USA Today newspaper: "Everybody has their own little discoveries to make. Their own surprises, their own disappointments, and they're all part and parcel of life. "There is no way one person can sit down and go, 'But why did this happen to me?' Or, 'It was all going well, what the hell happened?' Or, 'No, this just can't be,' the denial of it.

"Running away from it is not going to help you find your answers. So we're facing it. And we're dealing."

Since splitting from Dev, Freida has relocated from London to Los Angeles and is enjoying being in the US.

She said: "LA is a great place to be. You can stamp on it what you want to make of this place."

Dev has previously revealed he has stayed "incredibly close" to his former girlfriend.

He said: "We are incredibly close. She's just a really generous, patient human being who has been one of the most impactful people on my life. A lot of my motivation has come from her, from being with her and knowing her."

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