Danielle Spencer breaks silence on Russell Crowe split, says career was not to blame

Key facts

• Danielle Spencer, 56, was married to Russell Crowe from 2003 until their separation in 2012; divorce finalized in 2018.
• Spencer and Crowe share two sons: Charlie, 22, and Tennyson, 19.
• Spencer met her current partner, artist Adam Long, on a promenade near her Sydney home.
• Crowe has been in a relationship with former actress and personal assistant Britney Theriot, 42, since 2020.
• Spencer was the opening act for Crowe's band Indoor Garden Party in December 2025.
• In August 2025, Spencer said she felt she was the one who broke up the family and dealt with guilt.
• Crowe said in November 2025 he does not intend to remarry, calling his current relationship 'joyous and happy.'

A long-standing rumour dispelled

Danielle Spencer has finally addressed the narrative surrounding her marriage breakdown with Russell Crowe, rejecting the long-held assumption that his escalating career and frequent absences were the cause. In an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald, the 56-year-old actress and singer said: “There’s been this narrative that Russell’s escalating career and him being away contributed to the break-up of our marriage, but that’s not true for me.” “I don’t need to be with my partner 24 hours a day to feel safe or secure,” she added. The couple married in 2003, separated in 2012, and officially divorced in 2018, after years of speculation about the reasons behind their split.

A new partner and a peaceful energy

Spencer revealed that she met her current partner, Adam, an artist, “on the promenade” near her home. “He approached me and said we had a tenuous connection: Russell and I had looked at his mother-in-law’s house when it was for sale,” she explained. “Neither of us has a typical nine-to-five lifestyle,” she said of herself and Adam. “So he understands how I live my life. We’re similar, so it works.” She described his “good sense of humor” and “lovely, positive, peaceful energy.” The couple have been together since 2016.

Warm words for an ex-husband

Despite the separation, Spencer had only praise for Crowe, highlighting his “loyalty” as his most admirable quality. “He’s also a deep thinker. I am an actor as well, so I totally understood him being away on film sets,” she said, adding that Crowe “is a very loving dad.” The former couple co-parent their two sons, Charlie, 22, and Tennyson, 19. “Our sons stay with him in the summer holidays, and he takes them away mid-year for a few weeks. He gets the holiday times, I get the boring routine,” she shared.

Crowe’s current relationship and views on marriage

Crowe, now 62, is in a relationship with Britney Theriot, 42, his former personal assistant and actress. In an interview with Australia’s 60 Minutes in November 2025, he said he does not intend to remarry. “Doing it once is cool... but I don’t want to do it again,” he said. “We are very very good friends and we have a wonderful relationship. My life is so joyous and happy at the moment. Why would I ruin that with a wedding?” he said. He added that he and Theriot do “everything together,” describing their life as “very positive.”

Spencer’s earlier admission of guilt

This is not the first time Spencer has spoken publicly about the marriage breakdown. In an appearance on Stellar’s podcast Something To Talk About in August 2025, she took the blame for the split. “It’s really sad breaking up with somebody that you’ve known for so long, that you’ve had children with,” she said. “Me kind of breaking up the family – and it felt very much like I was driving that – so I had to deal with my almost sense of guilt that I was fracturing the family, but obviously I did it for a number of reasons, and I wouldn’t have done it if I didn’t think it needed to happen.”

A friendly co-parenting arrangement

The exes remain on friendly terms, with Spencer even serving as the opening act for Crowe’s band Indoor Garden Party at their one-night-only show in December 2025. Both have moved on to long-term relationships: Spencer with Adam Long, an artist and illustrator, and Crowe with Theriot. Spencer’s latest interview puts to rest the rumour that Crowe’s career caused the split, offering instead a picture of two people who respect each other and have built separate, fulfilling lives while continuing to co-parent their sons.

The bottom line

• Danielle Spencer explicitly denies that Russell Crowe's career or absence caused their divorce.
• Spencer and Crowe maintain a friendly co-parenting relationship, with Spencer praising his loyalty and parenting.
• Spencer has been with artist Adam Long since 2016; Crowe with Britney Theriot since 2020.
• Crowe has stated he does not intend to remarry, describing his current relationship as joyous.
• Spencer previously expressed guilt over being the one to initiate the breakup, but said it was necessary.
• The couple's sons, Charlie and Tennyson, spend holidays with Crowe and routine time with Spencer.