Duchovny enters rehab for sex addiction

X-Files star David Duchovny has submitted himself to a California rehabilitation facility for sex addiction treatment.

The 48-year-old U.S. actor made the announcement through a brief statement released by his lawyer on Thursday.

"I ask for respect and privacy for my wife and children as we deal with this situation as a family," Duchovny added.

Representatives for the actor, who is married to actress Tea Leoni and has two children, declined further comment.

One of Duchovny's most recent roles has been starring as a drunken, bitter, sex-obsessed novelist struggling with writer's block and raising his pre-teen daughter on the critically praised Showtime series Californication, the second season of which begins in late September.

He won a Golden Globe for the role in 2007.

"All of us at Showtime wish David and his family the best during this very private time," the network said in a statement.

Duchovny returned to his breakout role as conspiracy theorist and federal agent Fox Mulder in the movie The X-Files: I Want to Believe, released earlier this summer.