The National Enquirer is firmly standing by its story that Macaulay Culkin is hooked on heroin and highly addictive painkillers.

The tabloid has posted a statement on its website, urging Macaulay Culkin, 31, to seek urgent professional help – and challenged him to take a blood test.

It comes after his representatives strenuously denied the magazine’s report on Wednesday – which features on the cover under the headline: “Macaulay Culkin addicted to heroin: 6 months to live.”

The Enquirer posted a statement on its website yesterday, reading: “Should Macaulay’s representatives continue to deny The ENQUIRER’s accurate and detailed report, we are ready to offer him the opportunity to take a blood test administered by an independent medical lab.”

It adds: “Our advice to Macaulay is to seek professional help to avoid the same tragic fate of other beloved celebrities, including Whitney Houston who died earlier this year.”

The National Enquirer is firmly standing by its story that Macaulay Culkin is hooked on heroin and highly addictive painkillers

The Enquirer‘s statement also refers to Macaulay Culkin’s friend Elijah Rosello, who died in March aged 24 from a heroin overdose.

In the article, the magazine alleges Macaulay Culkin and Elijah Rosello used to do drugs together – and repeats this again in today’s statement.

It went on: “We believe that the former child star should be doing everything he can to get the treatment he so desperately needs – and which could have saved the life of his friend Elijah Rosello.

“Her family confirmed to The ENQUIRER that she did drugs with Macaulay before her drug-related death in March.”

On Wednesday, Macaulay Culkin’s spokeswoman Michelle Bega branded the article – which claimed the actor has a $6,000-a-month drug habit – as “ridiculously fictitious” and “insulting”.

The magazine alleged Macaulay Culkin regularly shoots up heroin and the highly addictive painkiller oxycodone – dubbed hillbilly heroin.

The article went on to say the former child star turned his Manhattan apartment into a drug den where he gets high either by himself or with friends.

Responding to the allegations earlier this week, Michelle Bega said: “The report in the National Enquirer that Macaulay Culkin is addicted to heroin and assorted hallucinogenics is not only categorically without merit, but it is also impossibly and ridiculously fictitious.”

She added that the story was “destructive and insulting”, to her client.

The Enquirer says Macaulay Culkin’s drug use intensified 18 months ago – around the time he split from long-term girlfriend Mila Kunis, who is now dating Ashton Kutcher.

A source told the publication: “Macaulay Culkin is hooked on drugs and it’s killing him.

“He’s been hooked for a year and a half, and his drug of choice is either heroin or oxycodone.

“Mac is surrounding himself with junkies and lowlifes. It’s a real tragedy.”

The source – described by the Enquirer as a “close friend” – also claimed Macaulay Culkin has had a close brush with death in the past year and almost overdosed.

“Mac suffered a near overdose, and needed help,” the insider said.

“Fortunately he didn’t need to call 911 and the near-OD was kept quiet among his pals. But Mac got very sick.”

In February, pictures of Macaulay Culkin looking emaciated and shockingly thin made headlines.

At the time his representatives strenuously denied the actor was addicted to prescription drugs or heroin amid reports the 5-foot-7 star’s weight had dropped to 104 lbs.

Macaulay Culkin is best known for his roles as cheeky Kevin McCallister in the 1990 film Home Alone and the 1992 sequel, Home Alone: Lost In New York.

He also starred in the likes of Uncle Buck, My Girl and Richie Rich.

But his adult career has failed to match the blockbuster success of his childhood days.

In 2003 he played a drug-addled club hopper alongside Seth Green in Party Monster, while his last film role was in 2007 in the Indie flick Sex And Breakfast.

These days he earns a living DJ-ing at clubs around New York.

Macaulay Culkin’s half sister Jennifer Adamson died of a drug overdose in 2000.

In 2004, Macaulay Culkin he was arrested on suspicion of marijuana and two controlled substances – Alprazolam and Clonazepam – eventually pleading guilty to misdemeanor drug offences. He was slapped with three one-year suspended prison terms.