Russell Crowe is divorcing his wife Danielle Spencer after nine years of marriage. The couple, who met over 20 years ago on a film set, have two children together.

Crowe's 2005 assault arrest at the Mercer Hotel in New York arose when the concierge refused to help him place an international call to his wife after discovering the phone in his room didn't work. Now that they're no longer together he's probably starting to feel pretty silly about making such a big deal out of it.

Speculations about whether the divorce was driven by Russell's hectic filming schedule - he's got seven movies coming out next year - or the rumors of an affair between Danielle and her dancing partner Damian Whitewood from Australia's Dancing With the Stars. Other possibilities include:

  • Russell Crowe in fact assaults the nearest bystander with a phone before and after every phone call, whether successful or not
  • Danielle was a secret 30 Seconds to Mars fan
  • After learning that Amy Poehler and Will Arnett had split, the two simply gave up
  • Crowe taking upcoming role in Noah very seriously; moving with Jennifer Connelly to the desert
  • Daily unprompted circumcision debates over the breakfast table - "I will always stand for the perfection of babies, I will always believe in God" a generally off-putting response to "Do you want toast with your coffee?"
  • Dancing With the Stars rebranded as Facilitated Cheating and Spray Tan Zumba Hour; dance partners now required to have sex with one another during the paso doble

[Sydney Morning Herald; image AP]