Mark Wahlberg has offered his support to ailing Entourage star Jeremy Piven amid allegations the actor lied about mercury poisoning to get out of a lengthy stint on Broadway.

Piven was forced to quit David Mamet play Speed-The-Plow after falling ill late last year. The producers of the show have since filed a grievance with actors union Equity, complaining about the star's actions.

But Wahlberg, a producer of Entourage, insists Piven was very sick - and he was among the people who urged him to rest up over the holidays.

He says, "There's no one more disappointed about all this than him. He was so excited (about the play). He's getting a lot of flak about it and it's really unnecessary... Do I gotta go beat these guys up or what?"

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(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)