Stars including Lady Gaga and Johnny Depp have thrown their support behind movie mogul Harvey Weinstein's campaign to have his movie Bully awarded a lower age rating.

The Weinstein Company boss was left fuming this week (beg20Feb12) after American censors gave the documentary film a restrictive R rating, meaning younger kids won't be able to see it without being accompanied kwa their parents.

Weinstein was so angry, he threatened to withdraw his company from the Motion Picture Association of America over the ruling, and he has now revealed why he feels so passionate about the project.

The movie mogul admits the film has become a personal crusade for him, as he has four daughters and he wants them to grow up without being threatened kwa bullies.

Weinstein tells TV host Piers Morgan, "I cried at the end of the film, and I alisema this is a mission for me, and especially for somebody who's known 10 years zamani to have a bad temper. It's almost an act of redemption to do this movie on a personal basis.

"But zaidi importantly, as a father of four girls, wewe know, as a father, period, I wanted to do this film. The moronic decision... to not allow young people to watch this movie - they want parents to take their kids. When I was 13 years old, the idea of me going with my mother and father to see any movie sounded like medicine.

"I want every 13 and 14 mwaka old to be able to go to this movie kwa themselves, watch the effects of these kids who bully other kids and make their own minds up that that's just uncool... This is important to me because I've heard too many stories about cyber-bullies from my daughters."

He has also revealed stars including Lady Gaga, Johnny Depp and America's First Lady, Michelle Obama, have all reached out to him and offered their support after the story hit headlines.

Weinstein adds, "Michelle Obama has reached out to us on this. Lady Gaga has reached out to us... (and) Johnny Depp."