Russell Crowe And His Girlfriend Denied Service At An Australian Restaurant

The commander of the armies under the Roman Empire, Maximus, played by Russell Crowe, has been told to walk… sadly, he isn't above the rules. On Friday, Russell and Britney Theriot made the headlines after getting booted for disregarding the rules of a Japanese restaurant, Mr. Miyagi, in Melbourne for not meeting the set dress code.

Mr. Miyagi restaurant is a Japanese-fusion establishment on Chapel St. in Melbourne. The stylish restaurant describes its dress code as "casual but fancy," where wearing "work gear, activewear, singlets, and thongs (flip-flops)" are prohibited. 

Apparently, the couple was just finishing a game of tennis earlier in the day around the corner. According to Russell's manager, Grant Vandenberg, the couple was only trying to grab "a quick bite to eat" during their post-game lunch. Not intentionally trying to outsmart the rules of the place.

The couple ended up going to a different nearby restaurant to grab lunch.

Following a statement from Russell's manager, Grant Vandenberg, to Daily Mail Australia, the Gladiator actor just bought a new Ralph Lauren Polo and was still wearing the outfit. In his exact statement, "He went there wearing a brand new Ralph Lauren polo, having just played a game of tennis, and was turned away."

The girlfriend, Britney Theriot, might have played a major part in why they were denied entry. Reports say that Britney rocked her tennis skirt to the restaurant, which might be too short for Mr. Miyagi.

Kristian Klein, the owner of Mr. Miyagi restaurant had a few words to say regarding the incident. In a statement to The Herald SUN, the restaurant owner said, "We treat everyone the same. It doesn't matter who you are or if you are Russell Crowe. We've got a dress code that we push across every level." Further adding, "We are consistent with it, and I don't feel like it's unreasonable."

Continuing his defending argument, Klein also stated, "we're not trying to teach people how to dress. But I know personally if I'm in my thongs [flip-flops] and my boardies [shorts], I'm not going to try and go to a nice restaurant because I wouldn't be dressed appropriately."

To clear the air about any possible grudge between his staff and the actor, Klein mentioned to The Sydney Morning Herald that his staff member didn't identify Russell as a star actor at the time. Adding to his words, "very unfortunate situation for everyone. We'd love for him to come to dinner, we'd love to have him back."

Trying to make light of the situation and bring calm (and humor), the restaurant posted a photo on its Instagram page updating its rules. The signpost reads, "Dress smart casual, unless you're Russell Crowe, then wear whatevs"

Some Russell Crowe fans didn't seem to like or agree with the post from the restaurant. One fan in disagreement wrote, "Seriously? I've seen people at far more upmarket restaurants wearing thongs shorts and t shirts 🙄"

Sharing opinions about the entire situation, some fans supported Klein and Mr. Miyagi. One fan wrote, "Celebs shouldn't get preferential treatment!!! They get treated with perks and comped everywhere they go because it's good publicity for the establishment!! The rules should apply to all! 👏🏻👏🏻." 

In the same post, the Japanese-fusion restaurant sends a direct message to the Unhinged star actor. The message written as a caption reads, "Dear Russell,⁠ During your last visit it seems we got off on the wrong foot. After much reflection on what occurred, we have made a permanent change to our dress code. ⁠We would love to see you again in the future, you're always welcome at Mr. Miyagi."

The 58-year-old star actor and his 31-year-old girlfriend are yet to comment on the Australian situation. Some fans would like the actor to post something via his social media handle or respond to Mr. Miyagi message but it's likely not going to happen… at least not publicly.

Russell Crowe and Britney Theriot might not be the only ones to suffer rejection at the hands of Kristian Klein and his restaurant. Reports from the Daily Mail suggest that just ten days after the Russell situation at Mr. Miyagi, an Australian radio broadcaster, Steve Price, was also turned away for violating the dress code.

Australian establishments might just have a thing for appearance rules! The Better Now singer, Post Malone, has had his fair share of Australian kick out. Earlier this month, the American singer was denied entry over his excessive tattoos into a rooftop bar in Perth, Australia.

Becoming a reoccurring case with high-profile celebrities, James Corden's case is a little bit worse. He was banned from Keith McNally's restaurant for allegedly mistreating one of the staff. Meanwhile, there's Arianna Grande getting kicked out of a doughnut shop in California for picking some unattended pastries — a surveillance camera caught her.

The two lovebirds have been romantically recognized together since 2020. Reporters have caught pictures of both actors playing tennis together on multiple occasions. Although when their exact relationship started is unclear, what's confirmed is how they met, which is on the set of Broken City in 2013.

The 58-year-old Oscar-winning actor was once a married man! The Robin Hood actor was previously married to Danielle Spence for nine years, between 2003 and 2012. Both of them share two sons, Charles and Tennyson.

Coming up for Russell Crowe after his performance in Thor: Love and Thunder is his role in The Pope's Exorcist as Father Gabriele Amorth. A look at the trailer for the upcoming movie shows Russell as Father Gabriele trying to cast out a demon from a possessed girl. The movie, set to release on April 14, is based on the true stories of the priest, obtained from his memoirs.