Russell Crowe Is Sorry After Backlash Over Joke About 'Sodomizing' Female Co-Star
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The 'Mummy' actor issues an apology after he was slammed for his comment about an awkward scene with female co-star Jacqueline McKenzie on the set of 'Romper Stomper' 25 years ago.

AceShowbiz - Russell Crowe has issued an apology after facing serious criticism for making a joke about "sodomizing" a female co-star. The 53-year-old Oscar-winning actor was presenting an award at the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts, when he recounted an awkward situation involving a sex scene with co-star Jacqueline McKenzie in 1992's movie "Romper Stomper".

In comments that reportedly got left out of the eventual broadcast on Wednesday night, December 6, Crowe allegedly said, "I was sodomizing Jacqueline McKenzie on the set of 'Romper Stomper'. I didn't actually intend to do that."

"I was trying to keep my bits away from her bits, and she's been given one of those pieces of elastic that the girls get when you do those scenes, which protects them from all things, and my bits and pieces were in a little canvas sack with a drawstring," "The Mummy" actor continued. "And it was actually my desire to keep the bits apart."

"It wasn't until the opening night of the film that it was pointed out by none other than Jacquie McKenzie's beautiful late mother that we were in fact, in her mind, engaged in sodomy," he added, before concluding, "Anyway that was just a story about sensitivity!"

However, the joke was met with criticism due to its "tone deaf’ nature. And the next day, Crowe issued a statement apologizing for offending people. The actor began his statement, "Actors and actresses by the nature of our job get thrown into some embarrassing, bizarre and extreme circumstances. It's an ironic combination that sensitivity required for the job has also to be coupled with an ability to put aside your embarrassment and fears and cope with the humiliation."

He continued, "The way I delivered the story was to elicit that half cringe/half laugh reaction. Obviously I was only intending to make people laugh. Especially Jacquie, and she did. I didn't mean any offence to anyone and it wasn't a comment on other issues."

McKenzie was in the audience, and indeed, she took to social media to say that she and Crowe both often laugh about the said scene on-set. She took to Facebook to clarify, "There was no blurry lines on that awkward day's filming back in 1991."

"Russell was reflecting on the indignities of shooting a particular scene, in the R-rated indie film 'Romper Stomper'," she continued. "Over the eons, he and I have often laughed at the awkwardness we felt shooting that scene. How we were trying to be as protective of our modesties as we could, as 'sensitive' to each other's feelings as we could BUT when the director called 'action', the scripted action was violent and explicit."

"We were both new to the industry at the time -- it was my first film -- and, yes, it was uncomfortable. For everyone. Scenes like that always are. Also for family and friends when they later watch the work on the big screen," she added.

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