Crowe settles phone dispute

Russell Crowe has reached a settlement with a New York City hotel employee who claimed the actor threw a phone at him, according to a statement released by the actor’s publicist.

The Academy Award winner allegedly struck concierge Nestor Estrada in June while Crowe was in New York to promote his movie “Cinderella Man,” in which he portrayed a boxer.

“Both sides expressed satisfaction at the resolution,” the statement said. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed.

The 41-year-old actor was angered by a malfunctioning phone at the Mercer Hotel and at 4 a.m. threw it and struck Estrada in the face. Prosecutors charged the actor with second-degree assault and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon -- the telephone. Crowe, who’s free on his own recognizance, is scheduled to return to court Sept. 14.