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The Phone Call That Could End Russell Crowe's Career

Russell Crowe's infamous telephone-throwing tirade at the Mercer Hotel in New York earlier this week landed him in jail, and facing assault charges in Manhattan's Criminal Courts. The hapless hotel clerk who ended up on the receiving end of a flying telephone when he couldn't or wouldn't help the lonely Oscar-winner call his wife in Australia from his $3900 a night hotel suite, ended up with a few cuts on his face. Now Crowe is apologizing and pouring his heart out to Australia's The Daily Telegraph.

[Crowe] blamed his state of mind on "the combination of jet lag, loneliness and adrenalin", having just returned to the US after a flying visit to London for the Kostya Tsyzu fight, without wife Danielle.

"I'm at the bottom of a well. I can't communicate how dark my life is right now," Crowe said. "I'm in a lot of trouble. I'll do my best to solve the situation in an honourable way. I'm very sorry for my actions." Holed-up in a New York hotel room and missing his family just a day after his arrest, he added: "I will spend the rest of my life if it takes it, trying to make it up with my wife." "I'm pleased that my son isn't able to compute what's going on at the moment because that would be a heartbreaking thing."

He was charged with assault and criminal possession of a weapon - a telephone - and faces up to seven years in prison. The actor was released after a brief appearance in a Manhattan court later that morning and ordered to appear again on September 14. A security camera tape from the Mercer Hotel lobby is being examined by authorities. "One thing that I don't want to do is imply that I'm trying to make out it's somebody else's fault," Crowe said. "It's not, I know it's my fault, I've got to face up to it and deal with it. "I'll cop whatever I cop."

"But I've got no excuses. There's nothing you can say to people to explain the combination of jet lag, loneliness, adrenalin. We flew over to see Kostya and back again in 20 hours and not being able to tell your wife that you're home and safe and you're okay is frustrating, particularly with the time thing."

The enormity of his situation is not lost on the Gladiator star. He said: "I'm not trying to be pessimistic, I'm just looking at what the situation is - it's a seven-year jail sentence."

So apparently Crowe could end up a) rotting in a jail cell for seven years; b) have his visa revoked; and /or c) never be allowed work in the U.S. again -- all because of a temper tantrum. And it's all up to 28 year old Mr. Estrada. Crowe says he didn't throw the phone at the clerk, but was aiming at the wall.

You know, we love Russell Crowe as an actor. But this anger thing has got to stop. He was so sweet and nice when he was on Oprah last year, telling Oprah about his favorite author (Studs Terkel), giving Oprah some of his favorite books, and showing home movies of his wedding to Danielle Spencer. Then we see him pushing his mod new stroller with baby boy tucked inside, like a proud papa. But the calm didn't last long.

On the bright side, we think that Mr. Estrada is about to become a very wealthy man.

Posted on June 8, 2005

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