The troubled actor's brothers, Luke and Andrew, are keeping a 24-hour suicide watch on Owen, who tried to kill himself the last time they broke up.

'Owen's family are very concerned about his health and welfare,' a family insider says. 'When Kate started seeing another guy after their first break-up, Owen just completely let himself go and acted like nothing mattered anymore. He eventually became so despondent that he tried to kill himself.

'Now the family is rallying around by calling Owen to make sure he's all right. They've also been dropping in at his house unexpectedly and making arrangements to take him to functions and sports events.'

Kate, 29, and cycling champ Lance, 36, spent a cosy weekend together at his home this month in Austin, Texas. They were earlier seen dining in New York after going to check out a Kid Rock concert.

'She and Lance are both physical, passionate people, and she's never been happier,' a Hollywood insider says.

'They've known each other for a while, through Owen, and became good friends.'

Sexy Kate and Owen, fell in love while filming You, Me and Dupree in 2006, and she broke off her marriage to rocker Chris Robinson, father of her four-year-old son Ryder. But after the golden-haired couple split last summer, Owen slashed his wrists and overdosed on pills.

Kate's not the first ex-girlfriend of the blond heart-throb who Lance has gone out with. Owen, 39, had a three-year romance with pop's Sheryl Crow and Lance moved in after they split.

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