Investigation launched over alleged Russell Crowe bust-up
Officials at a venue in Sydney have launched an investigation into allegations Russell Crowe was involved in a bust-up after the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) Awards.
The Hollywood actor jetted Down Under to host the prizegiving on Wednesday (30Jan13), but his star turn has been marred by reports suggesting he had an Australian actor ejected from the show's official afterparty following an argument.
Alex Haddad claims he approached the Gladiator star and asked to
have a picture taken with him, but alleges Crowe turned nasty and
had him thrown out.
He tells the Sydney Daily Telegraph, "(He) rudely declined (the
picture) and started to get abusive... I wasn't drinking... I
wasn't fighting, and I definitely wasn't harassing Russell.
Security told me Russell had asked for me to be removed."
A spokesman for Crowe has denied the Oscar winner ordered Haddad's
removal from the Marquee nightclub, inside the Star Casino where
the awards were held.
However, a representative for the casino has confirmed they will be
looking at CCTV footage from the club to determine what happened,
saying, "We are investigating the matter."
Crowe has addressed the allegations in a series of posts on
Twitter.com, criticising editors of the newspaper for publishing
the story.
He writes, "You know the old saying...? If you can't say anything
positive, don't say anything at all... f**k me, that's a hard
ask... In Australia, we don't have privacy laws... we do however
have laws that preclude you from publicly humiliating an
individual... Lawyers? Researchers? Comb through 25 years of BS
(bulls**t), print anything s**t by the Telegraph 2 (sic) prove they
don't do news but they do humiliation?"