Construction magnate Ron Tutor, who is leading the group buying Miramax from Disney claims he was misquoted in a Hollywood Reporter report about his relationship with controversial investor David Bergstein. The report, written by veteran showbiz reporter Alex Ben Block, had quoted Tutor as saying that Bergstein would play no role in the new Miramax and criticizing him for "the Madness" of his past financial dealings. However, on Monday Sharon Waxman in TheWrap.com said that Tutor had fired off a letter to the Reporter saying that he did not recall saying "anything as negative as you printed in your article." He credited Bergstein for convincing him "to relook at Miramax as an outstanding transaction." Waxman said that in a second letter to Bergstein he also denied using the language attributed to him in the THR article. "We were obviously still doing business with your significant consulting role in the Disney Miramax transaction." Contacted by TheWrap, Bergstein said, "I continue to be moving the deal forward. I engineered the entire transaction and I will continue." Reporter editor Elizabeth Guider said that the trade publication was standing by its story.

13/07/2010