Russell Crowe has dismissed Meg Ryan's attempts to reverse his "home-wrecker" reputation, insisting she should have explained he wasn't to blame for the break-up of her marriage to Dennis Quaid years ago. Crowe and Ryan enjoyed a brief public romance after meeting on the set of Proof Of Life in 2000 - leading to speculation the movie beauty had left her husband for the Oscar-winning star.

Despite the rumors, Quaid and Ryan have always insisted they split in a "mutual and amicable" way before the actress began her ill-fated relationship with Crowe. On The Oprah Winfrey Show last month, Ryan declared Crowe "wasn't a home-wrecker" and praised him for "(taking) a lot of heat for that, and he had a lot of grace."

However, Crowe is unimpressed his gallant behavior wasn't defended earlier because it fueled his reputation as a Hollywood bad boy. He says, "It would have been nice to hear (her) say that a few years earlier. A lot of the bad boy thing and attendant pressures came from that time. Everything seeps out from that, and a mould grows over you, because of the implications. (However ) it's really brave that she finally got around to talking about it in public... the horse has bolted and life has moved on."

(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)