Russell Crowe: He talks about his phone throw scandal

Actor Russell Crowe (61) took two decades to speak openly about an incident that heavily burdened his career and image. In June 2005, the New Zealand-Australian Hollywood star was freaked out in the New York Mercer Hotel because he could not reach his wife Danielle Spencer (56) in the middle of the night. Out of frustration, he threw a phone after a hotel employee and was taken off in handcuffs a little later.

Crowe is now looking back at night – and for her consequences. “At 61 I can forgive myself for my bad days. I respect remorse. REUE is one of the greatest processes in life,” said the Oscar winner. In the music video for his new single “Save Me” with his band The Gentlemen Barbers, he even picks up the scandal visually.

Crowe explains that he is “wiser” today and a better person than then: “You will not improve if you are not honest with yourself – about who you are and what you did.”

At that time, Crowe was in New York City to promote his film “Cinderella Man”. Around 4 a.m. he wanted to make calls from his hotel room with Spencer in Sydney to tell his little son good night. When the line went on strike, he first complained to the reception – then he completely lost control.

Crowe threw a hotel phone for the receptionist. Shortly afterwards the police arrested him, the actor broke out in tears. At that time he confessed: “I am on the bottom of a well. I cannot describe how dark my life is at that moment.”

Finally he was convicted of assault, had to pay a fine, but was spared a prison sentence. A civil lawsuit of the hotel employee ended out of court – Crowe is said to have paid around $ 100,000.

The notorious telephone throw scandal had far-reaching consequences for Crowe’s career and sustainably damaged its public image. At that time, the actor already admitted to having a problem with his anger, but has hardly spoke publicly about the incident since then. The fact that he now processes the topic in one song indicates a late refurbishment. “Sometimes you play in front of 12,000 people – and sometimes you sing Irish folk songs for the prison guard who supervises you in your cell.”

Crowe and Danielle Spencer, with which he has two sons, separated in 2012 and finally divorced in 2018. Today the “Gladiator” star says that he “found” and “repaired” a lot in his life. Since 2020, Crowe has been in a relationship with the Britney Theriot, which is 28 years younger, which he is said to have met in 2013 on the set of the film “Broken City”.