# Why would someone want to kidnap Russel Crowe? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 18, 2001, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-someone-want-to-kidnap-russel-crowe/58438 "2001-03-18T02:21:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2001, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-someone-want-to-kidnap-russel-crowe/58438/1 "2001-03-18T02:21:27Z")
I’m not trying to be funny here. I know there are so many women who are hot for him, and like any high-profile celebrity, he’s prone to stalkers, but this doesn’t sound like a stalker. I’ve skimmed various articles in print and on the Net, but anyone who knows anything beyond the fact that he’s been threatened, isn’t saying more than that. What I did read is, whoever threatened him wanted to kidnap him **for ransom**. Again, not trying to be funny, but who would try to ransom a single person? Ransom is usually asked for children, married people, and once in a while, someone who owns a (large) business. Parents will do anything to get their kids back; spouses will presumably do anything to get their SOs back, and shareholders will negotiate to keep the big cheese from harm. But he’s not married; his parents probably don’t have much of anything to pay; and his worth is whatever is in his bank account: no studio has so much invested in him that they’d negotiate for his safety. Plenty of celebs get death threats, but I’ve never heard of a kidnapping threat to an adult. If anything, I guess he’d pay his own ransom. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2001, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-someone-want-to-kidnap-russel-crowe/58438/2 "2001-03-18T03:05:20Z")
To recreate the last scene of Gladiator, perchance? Alright, there’s the ransom. I don’t know. I just don’t know. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2001, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-someone-want-to-kidnap-russel-crowe/58438/3 "2001-03-18T03:52:27Z")
I’d bet his manager would pay ransom (probably presuming he’d get it back). And I’m sure that his assets would be made available if neccessary. After all, he’s not worth much dead. Just a guess. StG ---
**Author:** ![CLedet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b487fb/32.png) [@CLedet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CLedet)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2001, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-someone-want-to-kidnap-russel-crowe/58438/4 "2001-03-18T04:13:47Z")
The cops should question SwimmingRiddles. Hey SR, it sucks being broke. Been there, done that. ---
**Author:** ![MattTheCroc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/439d5e/32.png) [@MattTheCroc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MattTheCroc)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2001, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-someone-want-to-kidnap-russel-crowe/58438/5 "2001-03-18T04:37:12Z")
It must be pointed out the threat came just after “Proof of Life” came out in Australia… someone with a delicious taste of irony? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![evilbeth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/evilbeth/32/2268_2.png) [@evilbeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/evilbeth)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2001, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-someone-want-to-kidnap-russel-crowe/58438/6 "2001-03-18T04:38:04Z")
I don’t understand it either. Kidnapping him for a sexual slave, yes. Kidnapping him for ransom, no. The only reports I have heard have hinted along the lines of his possibly being an Oscar winner but I still don’t follow the logic. I mean, kidnap Tom Hanks–he has more than one _and_ he has a wife who might pay to get him back! In the words (paraphrased) of Russell Crowe himself, “Anyone who would want to kidnap me and keep me locked in a room with them has obviously never met me!” ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2001, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-someone-want-to-kidnap-russel-crowe/58438/7 "2001-03-18T05:33:46Z")
Yeah, I heard that he’d been making jokes to that effect: the kidnappers would end up paying someone else to take him off their hands. Dunno. Elvis got a kidnapping threat once, but nothing came of it. Anyway, no one could have gotten past his crew. ---
**Author:** ![big\_yellow\_kingswood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@big\_yellow\_kingswood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/big_yellow_kingswood)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2001, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-someone-want-to-kidnap-russel-crowe/58438/8 "2001-03-18T10:12:56Z")
How about the no-longer-Mrs-Crowe-to-be? She was pretty pissed off… or those blokes in Coffs that he had a bit of trouble with a while back… ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2001, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-someone-want-to-kidnap-russel-crowe/58438/9 "2001-03-19T04:02:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by big\_yellow\_kingswood \* > \*\*How about the no-longer-Mrs-Crowe-to-be? She was pretty pissed off… or those blokes in Coffs that he had a bit of trouble with a while back… \*\* Coffs? ---
**Author:** ![Ell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e47774/32.png) [@Ell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ell)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2001, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-someone-want-to-kidnap-russel-crowe/58438/10 "2001-03-19T04:56:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Rilchiam \* > \*\*Coffs? \*\* Coffs Habour. Russell owns a property up there. ---
**Author:** ![Ell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e47774/32.png) [@Ell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ell)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2001, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-someone-want-to-kidnap-russel-crowe/58438/11 "2001-03-19T04:57:49Z")
Harbour even ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2001, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-someone-want-to-kidnap-russel-crowe/58438/12 "2001-03-19T05:10:44Z")
I see. I’m really only interested in this because I don’t think he’s in any real danger, so I’m free to speculate without being ghoulish. I love drama, as long as no one gets hurt. ---
**Author:** ![11811](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/9d8465/32.png) [@11811](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/11811)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2001, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-someone-want-to-kidnap-russel-crowe/58438/13 "2001-03-19T13:13:46Z")
Maybe they wanted to give him a shave and a fresh shirt, you know, just to see what that would look like. Or am I thinking of Keanu Reeves? ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2001, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-someone-want-to-kidnap-russel-crowe/58438/14 "2001-03-19T15:57:24Z")
MmmmmMMMmmmmmm… Russell Crowe… ---
**Author:** ![Demo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demo/32/8472_2.png) [@Demo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Demo)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2001, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-someone-want-to-kidnap-russel-crowe/58438/15 "2001-03-19T16:32:56Z")
MMMMmmmmmmmMMMMMMMmmmmmm… Russel Crowe… ---
**Author:** ![Flutterby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Flutterby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flutterby)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2001, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-someone-want-to-kidnap-russel-crowe/58438/16 "2001-03-19T17:32:31Z")
_drools_ I’d love to kidnap Russell Crowe… but not for ransom. I’d keep him aaaaallllll to myself _grins wickedly_ ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2001, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-someone-want-to-kidnap-russel-crowe/58438/17 "2001-03-19T17:48:16Z")
Hmmmm… seems we have enough people here to maybe plan our OWN kidnapping campaign. Russell gets kidnaped by band of drooling female dopers. We could each keep him for a week. Whadaya think? Think we could get him to bring the Gladiator clothes? Mmmm… Russell Crowe…