Harvey Weinstein may have won in his battle with producer Scott Rudin to push up the release date of The Reader so that it is eligible for Oscar consideration, but he just lost big time in a bet with Deadline Hollywood blogger Nikki Finke. Weinstein reportedly told "Page Six" that he would give $1 million to charity if Finke could produce proof of an e-mail she had quoted from Rudin, which alleged that Weinstein had harassed the late Sydney Pollack about moving up the film's release date. As it turns out, she could produce proof, and has since posted a screenshot of the e-mail. Though Rudin initially told "Page Six" that Finke was lying, he has since admitted that he was lying to the New York Post (follow that?) in order to preserve some semblance of peace in his working relationship with the Weinstein Company. Ordinarily this would be good news in the world of philanthropy, but given Weinstein's shaky financial situation, it looks like the odds favor the mogul welshing on this particular bet.

Harvey Weinstein's Offer I Can't Refuse [Deadline Hollywood Daily]
Earlier: Weinstein KO's Rudin Over 'Reader' Release