In this age of all-encompassing social media, it can feel like we get much closer to celebrities than we used to. Especially when that celebrity is our keeping-it-real home girl Eva Mendes. And because she has such a close relationship with her fans, some have questioned why she doesn't post photos of her partner Ryan Gosling or their daughters Esmeralda and Amada.

In a response to a request from a fan for more personal photos on Instagram, the actress stated: “As far as Ryan, I’ll only post flash backs of things that are already “out there” (like pics from movies we did or stuff like that). My man and kids are private. That’s important to me, so thanks for getting that."

The comment came on a post of herself in a floral dress and green trench coat from her new clothing collection. Follower Mandica17 thanked the star for acknowledging her followers and also put in a request for a photo of Ryan. Eva thanked her fan, saying: "I take so much joy from connecting to other women. It means so much to me. Even just a quick exchange. I struggle with Social Media but I love the constant connection with women."

She then went on to highlight the problems with social media, when people only post the best, Photoshopped versions of themselves, creating insecurities amongst their followers: "I try to post responsibly and I try to make sure I don’t portray myself in a way that makes other women feel bad. Instagram can be hurtful in that way. Like with this picture, this is actually a campaign shot and it was retouched. "

The Hitch actress also admitted that food is a constant source of angst for her: "I want women to know it takes a lot for me to look this way and that I struggle with food among many other things. So thank you again for your comment and feel free to call me out on bulls**t If you see it."

She finished off her missive by "sending so much love!" With such heartfelt interaction with her fans, we're not surprised that she's so popular!