Actor Crowe arrested in New York

Crowe was in the UK on Saturday to watch a boxing match

Actor Russell Crowe has been briefly arrested in New York for allegedly assaulting a hotel employee.

The Gladiator star is said to have struck the man in the face when he threw the telephone during a row at the Mercer Hotel, where he was staying.

Sergeant Mike Wysokowski said police charged the New Zealand-born film star with second degree assault after the incident at 0420 (0820 GMT) on Monday.

The actor, 41, was released after appearing in court later in the day.

He has been ordered to return to the Manhattan Criminal Court in September.

Best actor

Crowe had been in the UK on Saturday to support Australian boxer Kostya Tszyu in his late night bout against the UK's Ricky Hatton in Manchester.

He then went to New York to promote his latest movie, Cinderella Man, a biopic based on the life of world heavyweight boxing champion James J Braddock, which opened in cinemas last weekend.

The Ron Howard-directed film also stars Renee Zellweger.

Crowe won a best actor Oscar in 2001 for playing Maximus in Gladiator.