The feud between Russell Crowe and Howard Stern
Based on several highly publicised altercations in the past, it wasn’t unreasonable to think that Russell Crowe would be seeking physical retribution when he became a target for Howard Stern.
In something that sounds as though it comes straight out of a fever dream, the BBC reported that Ross Kemp had stepped in to break up a brawl the actor ignited at the bar and continued into the toilets of a Japanese restaurant located in London before he was charged with second-degree assault after launching a telephone at the head of a hotel employee in New York City.
South Park was quick to lampoon him by featuring the TV series Fightin’ Around the World with Russell Crowe in season six episode ‘The New Terrance and Phillip Movie Trailer’, but his response to Stern’s body-shaming was a lot more subdued than his previous reputation would suggest.
When paparazzi photos of the Academy Award winner began circulating that saw him carrying a body shape that wasn’t quite reminiscent of Maximus Decimus Meridius, the ‘shock jock’ decided to weigh in, no pun intended: “Russell Crowe, like this guy, really in-shape, good-looking guy,” Stern said starting off positively. “Now he’s like a big fatso.”
Defending himself from the ensuing backlash, Stern maintained that he “did not body shame Russell Crowe”. However, the exact words that came out of his mouth during the initial broadcast told an entirely different story: “I’ve met him personally, very nice guy, but he’s big and fat.”
Stern made a point of noting how he likes “to stay thin and in shape” in a further jab at Crowe, who would ultimately respond on social media. After being tipped off by a fan that the radio personality had “goofed on your weight,” Crowe responded in kind: “I can bench press young Howard. He cannot say the same.”
The bad blood between the pair eventually settled down, with Crowe going on to appear on Stern’s radio show years later. It was here where he confirmed the long-held rumour that he’d been offered the part of Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, but he rejected the opportunity after it became apparent that Peter Jackson was only carrying out the studio’s orders.
Acknowledging his belief that Warner Bros had urged Jackson to gauge the interest of a star who’d just won an Oscar for ‘Best Actor’ and was now a major name, Crowe “didn’t think Peter Jackson wanted me on that film”, going to claim that “he was forced into talking to me, because there was a moment in time when everyone wanted me in everything”.
Of course, Crowe was hardly the first person Stern had managed to antagonise with his on-air antics, and history has indicated that he won’t be the last, either.
