Russell Crowe 'decked' in fight with millionaire tycoon — then Ross Kemp split it up

In an illustrious acting career, Russell Crowe has shown a particular flair for playing characters with violent tendencies.

His performances as hotheads in films such as Romper Stomper and LA Confidential were scarily convincing.

And in one instance of life imitating art, the actor’s own infamously fiery temper led to a public skirmish.

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In 2002, New Zealand-born Crowe, who turns 59 today (April 7), reportedly got into a fight with a millionaire businessman from his homeland at London’s swanky Zuma restaurant.

Crowe ran into Eric Watson, once one of the wealthiest men in New Zealand, at the Knightsbridge restaurant.

The pair apparently clashed in the toilets, before the fight spilled over to the bar, The Sun reported.

Watson’s pals claimed Crowe had made racist taunts, which he refused to apologise for, and then punched Watson in the face twice.

They said the Gladiator actor, whose South Sydney Rabbitohs had finished bottom in the National Rugby League, initially congratulated Watson on his team’s second-place finish.

But they added that things quickly turned sour between the Kiwi rivals when the actor allegedly called Watson’s New Zealand Warriors a “bunch of coconuts”.

The friend told the Sunday Mirror: “Eric got up to use the lavatory and Russell followed. He could tell by his tone of voice and aggressive manner that he was looking for a fight.

“He started laying into Eric’s club and said they were ‘a bunch of coconuts’. This is a real insult in New Zealand – and even more of a cheek coming from an ex-pat Kiwi.

“Just because he’s living in Australia he shouldn’t forget where he came from.”

But it was Watson who reportedly came out on top of the fight after allegedly knocking Crowe to the ground and landing a flurry of blows.

In a bizarre turn of events, another famous face who happened to be at the restaurant reportedly had to intervene to put an end to the scrap.

EastEnders actor Ross Kemp apparently got between the men until police arrived at the scene to deal with them.

A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police told the BBC at the time: “Police were called at 0042 GMT on 13 November to reports of an altercation involving two men believed to be in their 30s.

“No allegations of a crime were received, there were no injuries and there will be no further police action.”

Speaking to the Daily Mirror after the altercation, Watson said: “I feel pretty embarrassed about what has happened. I’m still in shock from it all. I want to make it clear I’m not a violent man. I’m not a thug. I’m a respectable businessman.”

But the “respectable businessman” has fallen from grace in recent years after a series of financial problems.

He’s currently being chased for a $57million repayment by the liquidators of his failed Cullen Investments and in 2020 UK courts sentenced him to four months in prison after he was found to be in contempt of court for withholding information about his assets from former business partner Sir Owen Glenn.

In 2021 he was also charged with insider trading in the US.

Meanwhile, Crowe’s clash with Watson wasn’t the first or last of his outbursts.

In 1999, he was accused of head-butting customers at a hotel bar in Australia. On another occasion, in 2002, he apparently yelled at a BAFTA Awards producer in a storage cupboard after his Best Actor acceptance speech was cut short.

In 2005 the actor landed himself in hot water again when he was arrested and charged with assault for allegedly throwing a phone at a hotel concierge in New York.

The incident cemented his reputation as one of Hollywood’s bad boys and even earned him the nickname Jerkus Maximus.

But the actor later apologised, telling TV host David Letterman: “This is possibly the most shameful situation I’ve ever gotten myself in in my life, and I’ve done some pretty dumb things in my life”.

Now, Crowe insists his infamous temper has been replaced with a calmer attitude, and it’s all thanks to fatherhood.

The dad of two told the Daily Mail: “I’ve settled for a quieter life as a responsible father. I’ve grown up and I’m a family man all the way through.”

He added: “Anyone who comes in for that onrush of attention, is going to have to handle it in their own way, which is hard, and there’s no way you can prepare for it. But these days, I have a little bit more balance and I understand it more.”

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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk