From co-stars to co-parents: How Russell Crowe and ex-wife Danielle Spencer have remained 'close friends' post-split

It's widely known that Russell Crowe and ex-wife Danielle Spencer divorced over 10 years ago, but perhaps lesser-known is that the pair's enduring friendship – and co-parenting dynamic – has well and truly stood the test of time.

From a chance first meeting, to an initial on-and-off romance, to marriage, kids and eventual separation, Crowe and Spencer have weathered the many phases of their relationship over the years, and somehow still emerged as a shining example of how to navigate family life post-divorce.

So how did they achieve such harmonious co-existence, and maintain a respectful – even loving – friendship, even after the dissolution of their marriage?

The onscreen romance to real-life relationship pipeline

In 1989, while on-set filming Australian romance drama The Crossing, a 24-year-old Crowe met and fell in love with his 19-year-old on-screen girlfriend, portrayed by Spencer.

Prior to the household name's high-profile (but short-lived) relationship with 90's sweetheart Meg Ryan, he and Spencer weathered the ups and downs of an on-again, off-again entanglement, before finally reconnecting in 2001 after Crowe's split from Ryan.

This time, it seemed to stick. The enamoured pair tied the knot in a 2003 ceremony that coincided with the Gladiator star's birthday – held on his cattle property in Nana Glen, New South Wales.

From that point, the rest was history. In a marriage spanning over a decade, they welcomed two children; Tennyson, 19, and Charles, 21 – however an extra layer of complication arose when the couple separated in 2012.

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Distance, a marriage's silent killer

The decision to go their separate ways, according to Spencer, was largely attributed the to the struggle of conflicting schedules.

This proved to be a persistent problem for the pair, having also been the driving force behind their initial split prior to marrying.

Spencer spoke about the circumstances around their early relationship breakdown in a 2010 interview with Daily Mail, saying that it was not a lack of love or affection that lead to their first breakup.

"We came out of that relationship after a few years with no animosity, it was just circumstance," she said.

"Russell was very ambitious and very set on moving to Hollywood, but I was younger and working on music as well as acting in Sydney, so I wasn't ready to take the plunge. We were both too young to settle, but we always stayed in touch – and a strong friendship is a great basis for a relationship."

And distance proved once again to be the final nail in the coffin for their marriage. As Crowe's star rose, he was forced to spend increasingly extended periods away from his young family.

"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.

Crowe was reportedly "blindsided" and "incredibly reluctant" to accept the split, however Spencer was adamant that it was the only option. The two officially finalised their divorce in 2018 – six years after separating.

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From co-stars to co-parents

Parenting can prove challenging at the best of times, but having to navigate the process post-divorce is a feat that has proved impossible for many.

But not, as it appears, for Russell Crowe and Danielle Spencer.

The pair are seemingly in a league of their own, and remain an enduring example of how to co-parent – and maintain a friendship – after splitting up.

Having made a joint decision for the boys to remain in Sydney with their mother, Crowe often spends extended periods with them between jobs – even going as far as jetting off on joint family holidays with his ex-wife.

And in 2020, Spencer told Stellar magazine that the strength of their connection post-divorce only continues to grow.

"The marriage ended, but that didn't mean our friendship ended… we have a lot of respect for each other and I consider him to be a member of my family," the actress and singer revealed.

"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," she admitted.

They have both spoken extensively about the love and respect they still have for one another, despite now having moved on with new partners.

Navigating the blended family dynamic

Spencer has been with author Adam Long since 2016, while Crowe is now in a relationship with Britney Theriot, a former actress who became a personal assistant to the star. They reportedly first met on the set of the film Broken City in 2013, as castmates. They've been an item since 2020, but largely stay out the spotlight, aside from the odd red carpet appearance.

The ex-couple's respective careers are both flourishing in recent times, too. While Spencer's acting and music ventures largely took a backseat during the years she spent dedicated to raising her sons, she's recently revealed that, now the boys are older, she's ready to make up for lost time.

She has a new album set to release this year, while Crowe's upcoming film Nuremburg is already generating pre-release buzz.

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Title: From co-stars to co-parents: How Russell Crowe and ex-wife Danielle Spencer have remained 'close friends' post-split
Sourced From: celebrity.nine.com.au/latest/russell-crowe-danielle-spencer-relationship-how-they-co-parent-remain-friends-after-divorce/d4eed455-ecdb-4277-9034-862468a9953a
Published Date: Thu, 27 Nov 2025 02:11:00 GMT