David Duchovny really a sex addict? Or playing one too well on TV?

As People reported this week, David Duchovny is in rehab for sex addiction. I feel for DD, as this will mess up the family harmony he had going with Tea Leoni and their two kids. But I also can’t help but wonder if it’s the real deal, or a very well-timed publicity move.

Cynical, I know, but Californication’s new season is just four weeks away and sex addiction — along with writers block — is one of the main problems Hank Moody has on the show. Here’s a little background on the disorder.

This certainly could be a case of life imitating art. There have been rumors in the past of Duchovny possibly having a problem with sex addiction, but he quickly denied it when asked in the late 1990s. This time, he promptly released a statement saying he entered rehab voluntarily and asking that the media respect his privacy and that of his family.

With Californication’s next season a month away and Duchovny filling an executive producer role, Showtime released this brief statement: “All of us at Showtime wish David and his family the best during this very private time.” Again, though, it doesn’t seem to be a private time at all. The news has been picked up by media all over the globe and the blogosphere. The New York Post reports it has cost Duchovny sponsorship deals. Gossip sites, meanwhile, are loving the play on words with “The X-Files” (the sex files, Duchovny’s xxx files, etc.). And MTV went so far as to see signs of sexual compulsion in every film Duchovny has made.

So, Showtime fans, what do you think? Is Duchovny really a sex addict, or playing one too well on TV?