Russell Crowe reflects on 2005 phone-throwing incident after nearly two decades of silence

Crowe opens up about his 2005 phone-throwing arrest in New York, revealing personal growth and emotional regret.

Russell Crowe has spoken publicly for the first time in nearly 20 years about the infamous phone-throwing incident that led to his arrest in New York in 2005. The Oscar-winning actor, now 61, expressed regret over the episode in an interview with The Daily Telegraph, saying he has grown from the experience and now values the lessons it taught him.

The incident occurred in June 2005 at the Mercer Hotel in Manhattan, where Crowe was staying while promoting his film Cinderella Man. After being unable to make a long-distance call to his then-wife, Danielle Spencer, in Australia, Crowe lost his temper and threw a telephone at a front desk employee, Nestor Estrada. He was arrested and led from the hotel in handcuffs, spending six hours in police custody.

Crowe initially faced felony charges but later pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of third-degree assault. He avoided jail time but paid a reported $100,000 to settle a civil lawsuit filed by Estrada. At the time, Crowe admitted he struggled with anger management and described feeling “at the bottom of a well.”

Now, Crowe has reflected on the experience through both words and music. In the video for his new single Save Me, with his band The Gentlemen Barbers, he alludes to the incident. Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, he said, “At 61, I can forgive my bad days. I absolutely respect regret. Regret is one of the greatest processes.”

Crowe added that he has become “smarter” over the years and more honest with himself. He shared a tongue-in-cheek reference to his time in custody: “Sometimes you're singing Irish folk songs to the prison officer who is looking after you in jail.”

The actor was married to Danielle Spencer from 2003 until their separation in 2012. They finalized their divorce in 2018 and share two sons, Charlie and Tennyson.