Divorce is often messy and painful, particularly in Hollywood, but Aussie superstars Russell Crowe, 56, and Danielle Spencer, 51, have given their A-list peers a blueprint for how to conduct an amiable split while still remaining friends.
WATCH: Meet Danielle Spencer’s new man!
How did Russell Crowe and Danielle Spencer meet?
The former couple met in 1989 on the set of the film The Crossing and began an on-and-off again relationship for several years, before tying the knot in 2013 at Russell’s property in Nana Glen, NSW.
They had two sons together, Charles, 16, and Tennyson, 14, before separating in 2012. Yet it took years for the pair to finally sign on the dotted line, with their divorced formally finalised in 2018.
Danielle herself says the pair have been “in and out of each other’s lives” for years, adding it was important to both of them to maintain their friendship together, even after the romance had faded.
“Obviously, I want to be on the best of terms with Russell,” she told Sunday Style in 2015.
“We have kids together, we’ve been friends since we’ve been teenagers. We’ve been on and off and in and out of each of other’s lives for a very long time.
“So, ending up in a place where we’re not friends, or we’re not able to get together for the kids and do things like the premiere or Christmas morning, or things that are very important for the kids, I think that would be a really sad place to end up.”
In June 2020, Danielle told Stellar magazine she still considers Russell a member of her family.
“We have a lot of respect for each other and I consider him to be a member of my family,” she told the publication.
“The marriage ended, but that didn’t mean our friendship ended. We’ve had holidays together in the past and we can happily sit down and chat.”
On his part, Russell says the love and respect between the pair will never go away.
“I’ve loved Danielle Spencer since 1989 – that’s never going to change – and that’s one of those things where I stare at her and go, ‘How did this fail?’ I still can’t work it out, because my feelings for her have never changed,” he told the Sunday Times in 2015.
He even gave fans a hint that the pair could rekindle their love, adding: “Once I commit to something, I stick with it, so you never know.”
But as any divorced parents can attest, navigating the co-parenting waters with your former spouse can be tricky.
Danielle confesses she put her acting and singing career on hold when the couple’s sons were young, as Russell’s booming Hollywood career required him to be away from home for extended periods of time.
“It was difficult because I always felt that to keep our family together both of us couldn’t be working and there came a point where I had to prioritise the kids, where they needed to be and their schooling,” she told Stellar.
“Obviously Russell’s career was going gangbusters and I just felt like, ‘This is not my time.’ I absolutely love being a mother and I wouldn’t change a thing, but I didn’t feel I could prioritise my career for a while there. The kids needed a parent who was present,” she added.
Now, Charlie and Tennyson split their time between their two parents. But there is one week every year when Russell gets to spend uninterrupted quality time with his kids, and it’s a period he cherishes.
“As you know, I’m divorced now, and like many other blokes who are out there listening, I have limited time with my kids. I don’t get to wake up with them everyday,” he told Nova 96.9’s Fitzy & Wippa in January 2020.
“And I get then every year between December 27 and January, so if you expect me to do anything, anything, I don’t give a sh– what it is in that time that doesn’t include my children, well you can go and whatever,” he said.
Who are Russell Crowe and Danielle Spencer dating now?
While neither have ever re-married, Russell has been linked to a string of gorgeous women, including the daughter of mining magnate Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest, actor Sophia Forrest.
Danielle is now with her partner of four years, author Adam Long.
“It’s going very well. He’s a very kind, gentle soul,” Danielle gushed to Stellar when asked about her man.
“We have a lot in common and we understand each other. It’s a very easy relationship and we get along very well.”
