Karl Stefanovic calls out Russell Crowe for ignoring his text message

Karl Stefanovic had a bone to pick with Russell Crowe on Wednesday’s Today show. 

The Hollywood actor, 56, was appearing on the Nine breakfast to promote his new film Unhinged when the co-host Ally Langdon cheekily brought up the topic of Russell and Karl’s friendship. 

‘Rusty, can I just interrupt? Karl told me he was watching Gladiator the other night with his son, and he flicked you a text message,’ Ally grinned as a red-faced Karl broke into laughter.

‘That was you? I wasn’t sure if it was you,’ Russell responded with a chuckle, adding: [My phone] came up with a thing… ‘Maybe Karl Stefanovic’, but I wasn’t quite sure.’ 

Karl explained that he’d sent Russell the text message to impress his teenage son River while they were watching the star’s iconic film Gladiator. 

‘I’m sitting there with my son going, ‘I’m going text Rusty’, and River goes ‘You don’t know Rusty!” Karl said,  

‘I said, ‘I’ve got his number so I’ll text him’. Nothing came back!’ he chortled. 

Taking his accidental snub in good humour, Russell promptly apologised with a laugh: ‘I’m so sorry. I’ll send you a text for you to show River.’ 

It comes weeks after Russell revealed his guilt over failing to spend quality time with his own sons while they were growing up.  

Speaking on The Kyle and Jackie O Show last month, the Oscar-winning actor admitted it ‘worried him greatly’ that he hadn’t spent enough time with his sons, Charles, 16, and Tennyson, 14, due to his international acting career.

‘I look back, and I think I should have given more time [to my children]. It’s tricky. I have this big job, and my entire work life takes place overseas,’ he said. 

He also explained that the COVID-19 pandemic had given him a fresh perspective on fatherhood, after travel bans encouraged him to spend more time at home with his kids.