Australian casino operator Crown Resorts is playing down media reports that owner James Packer got into a physical altercation with a security staffer at Crown Melbourne.

This weekend, Aussie media began reporting that Packer had been involved in some kind of verbal and physical dustup with a member of security at Crown Melbourne on New Year’s Day. The 60-year-old staffer reportedly collapsed following the incident, requiring his hospitalization.

According to various reports, MSS Security staffer Iskander Chaban had been alerted that a VIP was headed his way but Chaban failed to recognize Packer and Crown vice-president Ishan Ratnam when they tried to enter Crown Melbourne’s main casino floor.

Chaban told the Herald Sun that he “stopped their path just to have a word with them,” after which the two execs “started screaming at me using the most terrible language” then “pushed me out of the way.” Chaban told the Sunday Telegraph that the execs demanded that he be fired immediately.