Harvey Weinstein Made Brits Apologize to Renee Zellweger  6/18/07

Movie mogul Harvey Weinstein forced British journalists to apologize to Renee Zellweger at the London premiere of Bridget Jones's Diary - after winning a bet they'd really like the film.

The producer tried to persuade British journalists to stop attacking the actress just because she was an American taking on a very English role.

Weinstein knew the critics would be suitably impressed in the end and he called the journalists offering them a gambit.

He tells online blogger Marc Malkin, "I got a promise out of them. I said, 'If she's any good in the movie, in your opinion, you have to come to the premiere and single-handedly apologize to her.'

"They all agreed because they were sure it would be terrible and she would be terrible.

"The night of the premiere, each one of these gossip columnists from the London Mail and The Sun, whatever, saw the movie and came to the party.

"And these Fleet Street guys, who tear people up for a living every day, walked over to Renee and said, 'I'm from the Daily Mail, you were really good,' and, 'I'm from The Sun, you were really good.'"