Inside the private world of Russell Crowe’s ex Danielle Spencer

Danielle Spencer is known for keeping a VERY low profile in Sydney, despite her highly-publicised split with Hollywood heavyweight Russell Crowe, 56, which was finalised in 2018. 

And after the glamorous blonde candidly admitted at the weekend that she gave up her career for motherhood, Daily Mail Australia takes a look at how she rebuilt her life after their breakup. 

From co-parenting with her ex, to finally getting back into music at the age of 51 and finding love, take a look inside Danielle’s private world. 

SACRIFICING CAREER FOR MOTHERHOOD

At the weekend, Danielle told Stellar magazine about how she put her and Russell’s two sons first, over everything, as his career went ‘gangbusters.’

‘It was difficult because I always felt that to keep our family together both of us couldn’t be working and there came a point where I had to prioritise the kids, where they needed to be and their schooling,’ Danielle said. 

‘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,’ the former Home and Away actress added.

Danielle’s last official film or TV credit, a role in the TV series BeastMaster, was in 2000. She also appeared in a video short in 2009. 

The Pacific Drive actress and the Oscar winning actor fell in love when they co-starred in The Crossing in 1989, and the couple had an on-again, off-again relationship for years. 

CO-PARENTING WITH RUSSELL

The pair married in April 2003 at his farm in Nana Glen, had a nine-year marriage, having separated in 2012 and divorced in 2018. They share two children Charles, 16, and Tennyson, 14. 

Despite their high-profile split, Danielle told Stellar magazine that the couple are still friends and see one another as ‘family.’ 

‘We have a lot of respect for each other and I consider him to be a member of my family,’ she said.

‘The marriage ended, but that didn’t mean our friendship ended. We’ve had holidays together in the past and we can happily sit down and chat.’

In 2015 meanwhile, Russell made international headlines when he told The Sunday Times that he hasn’t ruled out a reconciliation with Danielle. 

‘I’ve loved Danielle Spencer since 1989 – that’s never going to change – and that’s one of those things where I stare at her and go, ‘How did this fail?’ I still can’t work it out, because my feelings for her have never changed,’ Russell said. 

But speaking to Sunday Style in April 2015, Danielle shot down suggestions of a reconciliation and said she was prioritising their children and family unit, going forward. 

She said it would be ‘sad’ if her and Russell weren’t friends, as they’ve known each other since they were ‘teenagers.’

Danielle reflected on their split, saying: ‘As far as separation goes, it’s hard for anybody; there’s a lot of adjustments to make.’

‘I’m like any other person, except occasionally it’s written about – my personal experience – so that’s just a bit of an added pressure.’ 

She went on to gush about her children and declared: ‘As a mother, you know they’re your reason for being once you’ve had them.’  

In 2014, she reflected on her complex relationship with Russell and told The Sydney Morning Herald that she wants their children to see that she and the star are a ‘parental unit.’

‘For me the most important thing is for my kids to see that their parents are still a parental unit and that we’re still friends and that there is a lot of affection there, so it’s the way to go,’ Danielle said.

‘Obviously it’s very challenging for him to deal with, and very challenging for me to deal with, but I guess in some ways keeping under the radar is good for my kids.’ 

Danielle is a devoted mother to their boys and recently reflected on how much they’ve grown up. 

‘Still going through old photos. These two cuties are now both way taller than me!. Definitely inherited their height from their dad. Where did the time go?’ Danielle captioned one Instagram post from April, filled with adorable old photos of their sons.  

DANIELLE’S MUSICAL COMEBACK

The All Saints actress and singer last released an album, Calling All Magicians, in 2010.

Her first album, White Monkey, had been released eight years prior, in 2002.

Danielle is now back with some new music, releasing an album with longtime friend and associate Vince Pizzinga, a songwriter and producer, that comes out on July 10.

The album is called Lost Luggage and they have just released a video for the track Smalltown Boy. 

Danielle said in an official statement that the video was a ‘really fun process. ‘

Music runs in her blood, with her father being Australian children’s entertainer, Don Spencer, 79.

Back in 2002, she spoke about her passion for music and how she finds it ‘soul-enriching’ to get into a studio and record some tracks.

‘To actually get the music out there, and get some feedback from people that’s the ultimate fulfilment for doing something that is such an introspective job,’ she said, according to The Sydney Morning Herald. 

‘To me that is the absolute, um, I’ll try and say this without sounding like a w**ker, that’s the soul-enriching part of it for me.’

FINDING LOVE AGAIN 

Danielle is going strong with her art dealer boyfriend of four years, Adam Long, telling Stellar he is ‘a very kind, gentle soul’.

She added they they have, ‘a very easy relationship’ and ‘a lot in common’ – but tells the magazine that she does not know if she will marry again. 

After they started dating in early 2016, a source told Daily Mail Australia that Adam was Danielle’s ‘typical arty type she goes for.’

‘He’s typically her, very arty, and she loves that type,’ revealed the friend at the time.

‘She’s really happy, it’s still quite early days, but she’s content. And Russell is apparently pretty cool with it. He’s accepted they’re not going to get back together.’