Hollywood star Russell Crowe and his wife, Danielle Spencer, have split up, a report said yesterday, with speculation that the Oscar-winning actor could face a US$25 million (HK$194 million) settlement.
The Australian couple have separated amicably after nine years of marriage, The Sydney Morning Herald said, with both determined to protect their two children, aged eight and six, from any publicity.
No comment has been made by Crowe, 48, or his wife, 43.
Rumours that their relationship was in trouble surfaced in June when photos appeared showing Spencer on a night out with her Dancing With The Stars partner Damian Whitewood, their arms around each other.
According to The Herald, Crowe is in the United States filming the biblical epic Noah, while Spencer remains in Sydney with their two sons.
Other reports said the demands of Crowe's acting career may have been a factor in the split, with the star away for much of the past year filming The Man with the Iron Fists, Les Miserables, Broken City, Man of Steel and now Noah.