Best Animated Feature contender Shrek is coming under fire from a whispering campaign that alleges the film plays loose with the facts in order to sugarcoat the title character's image. Recent weeks have seen increasingly prominent allegations of the ogre's severe temper, as well as disturbing suggestions he may have abused Princess Fiona.

"These allegations are ridiculous," said one of the film's directors, Andrew Adamson.. I mean, the guy has his drawbacks, sure. He's an OGRE, for crying out loud! But he never laid a hand on Fiona and never would. These allegations are incredibly mean-spirited and spiteful. I wouldn't say our movie showed him "warts and all, but-hey, come to think of it, we did show some warts. Literally. I mean, nobody has denied he's an ogre."

Shrek himself has not responded but is said to be hurt by the wave of stories. He and Fiona, living in seclusion since doing publicity for the video release of the movie, declined comment. Mike Myers, who played Shrek in the movie, defended the ogre. "Shrek has been nothing but a pleasure to be around in all the time I have known him and I have yet to see any evidence of this so-called temper."

There have also been recent allegations that Shrek has made insensitive comments about "diminished capacities" of members of the animal kingdom. "Ridiculous," said William Steig, who wrote the book the movie was based on. "His best friend is a donkey. The movie took some liberties with my biography, but it is essentially accurate."

The timing of the stories has raised eyebrows in Hollywood, coinciding as it is with the upcoming Academy Awards. The movie Shrek is competing for the first-ever Best Animated Feature trophy. The rumor campaign claims the cartoon softened the rougher edges of Shrek's personality and life in an effort to make him palatable for movie audiences.

Dreamworks executive Jeffrey Katzenberg, asked who would be behind such a campaign, said only, "Ask who would gain by these stories. Make your own conclusions." When asked directly, "So you mean Disney?" He quickly responded, "Bingo! Er, That is, no. Certainly not Disney, and might I add again that Shrek was not meant to tease Disney or anybody at Disney."

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