United Kingdom, May 26 -- Russell Crowe has defended his brusque exchange with fans outside a hotel after a video of the encounter went viral.

The Gladiator star, 62, was filmed interacting with autograph hunters who approached him as he exited a hotel in Paris, France with Crowe seen giving them a gruff warning and threatening he would be "gone" if anyone acted like a "d***".

Crowe said: "Are you listening? Stay where you are. Don't f****** push in on me. I'll come to you. Give everybody space. As soon as somebody's a d***, I'm gone. You got me? Clear?"

The video sparked debate online about Crowe's treatment of fans and the Oscar-winner has now weighed in on the controversy by insisting he was able to successfully set boundaries witho...