Crowe denies slating Stone's appearance

Russell Crowe has denied comparing his The Quick And The Dead co-star Sharon Stone to an orang-utan.

The actor reportedly claimed that Stone had undergone cosmetic surgery, which the actress has always denied.

"A lot has changed," he was quoted as saying. "You can end up looking like a startled chimpanzee."

However, a spokesman for Crowe insisted, "It was completely taken out of context."