John Oliver's show buys back Russell Crowe's Cinderella Man jock strap for $10,000
On Sunday's Last Week Tonight, John Oliver said the show had bought back the jock strap Russell Crowe wore in Cinderella Man, for $10,000 at an August auction. It is the third time the show has owned the item.
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The story, neutrally told
Left · 2John Oliver revealed on Sunday's episode of Last Week Tonight that the show had bought back the jock strap Russell Crowe wore in the 2005 film Cinderella Man. The Hollywood ReporterLC “Oliver revealed this news on Sunday’s Last Week Tonight during a story on the Secret Service.” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗ Rolling StoneL “John Oliver is yet again in possession of a jock strap worn by Russell Crowe for Cinderella Man.” Read at Rolling Stone ↗ Left · 2Oliver said the item had been auctioned off at the end of last year in aid of public media and was put up for auction again in August, when it sold for $10,000. He said the show's team was the buyer. The Hollywood ReporterLC “it was apparently put up for auction again in August, where, I’m happy to tell you: It sold for $10,000.” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗ Rolling StoneL “And the reason I know that is, of course we fucking bought it back.” Read at Rolling Stone ↗ Left · 1The Hollywood Reporter says this is the third time Oliver's show has taken ownership of the item. The Hollywood ReporterLC “This marks the third time the Last Week Tonight host has taken ownership of the undergarment that Crowe wore in 2005’s Cinderella Man.” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗
Left · 2Oliver made the announcement while comparing the Secret Service's "zero fail" mission with the show's own. He joked that the show's historical legacy would be money for food banks, a koala chlamydia ward and "whatever the fuck is going on with Russell Crowe's jockstrap right now". He then brought out the item and told it, "I cannot wait to find out where you're gonna go next." The Hollywood ReporterLC “Oliver explained the agency’s “zero fail” mission and compared that to his own show’s mission.” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗ Rolling StoneL “Oliver added, speaking directly to the jock strap, “I cannot wait to find out where you’re gonna go next.”” Read at Rolling Stone ↗ Left · 2Oliver first bought the item in 2018 at an auction Crowe called "The Art of the Divorce", in which Crowe sold more than 200 items after his divorce from Danielle Spencer. Last Week Tonight paid $7,000. Rolling StoneL “Oliver initially bought the undergarment in 2018 during an auction Crowe dubbed “The Art of the Divorce,”” Read at Rolling Stone ↗ The Hollywood ReporterLC “Last Week Tonight, which purchased it for $7,000 (in addition to some other items).” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗ Left · 1Crowe told Good Morning Britain that the jock strap was one of the most popular items before the auction. He said he had put it in the collection "as a piece of whimsy and a bit of a gag". The Hollywood ReporterLC ““I put it in the collection as a piece of whimsy and a bit of a gag. Funny enough, it’s garnered a lot of attention.”” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗
Left · 2The show donated the item to the last remaining Blockbuster Video store, in Anchorage, Alaska, to help boost its business. Crowe said he gave the auction profits to the Australia Zoo, which said it would use the money to fund the "John Oliver Koala Chlamydia Ward". Rolling StoneL “donated it to the last remaining Blockbuster Video store in Anchorage, Alaska, in an effort to boost their business.” Read at Rolling Stone ↗ The Hollywood ReporterLC “the “John Oliver Koala Chlamydia Ward.”” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗ Left · 2The store closed in summer 2018 and the item returned to Oliver toward the end of 2018. Crowe later appeared in a sketch with it. The Hollywood ReporterLC “After the Anchorage Blockbuster closed, the jockstrap found its way back to Oliver toward the end of 2018. Crowe even appeared in a sketch with the item.” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗ Rolling StoneL “He reunited it with Crowe in a segment on Last Week Tonight.” Read at Rolling Stone ↗ Left · 2In 2025 Last Week Tonight staff auctioned it to raise funds for public TV and radio stations, and an anonymous buyer paid $21,000. The Hollywood ReporterLC “with the item fetching $21,000 from an anonymous buyer.” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗ Rolling StoneL “In 2025, Last Week Tonight put it up auction again to help raise funds for public TV and radio stations.” Read at Rolling Stone ↗
Left · 1Rolling Stone reports that Crowe has not yet commented on the latest purchase. Rolling StoneL “Crowe has yet to comment.” Read at Rolling Stone ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left2 outlets
- Framing
- Both outlets treat it as a light entertainment story and a running gag. They recount the item's history and lead with Oliver's on-air announcement.
- Emphasis
- The item's history (2018 auction, Blockbuster donation, koala ward, 2025 charity auction) and Oliver's quotes.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Neither says who sold the item in August. Only Rolling Stone notes that Crowe has not commented.
- Charged language
- “Iconic”“Infamous”“Great news, late-night fans”
- For example
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“John Oliver Has Re-Acquired Russell Crowe’s Iconic Jock Strap” — The Hollywood Reporter
“Great news, late-night fans: John Oliver is yet again in possession of a jock strap worn by Russell Crowe for Cinderella Man.” — Rolling Stone
Centre0 outlets
No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Right0 outlets
No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
What every side reports
- Oliver announced the buy-back on Sunday's Last Week Tonight.
- The item sold for $10,000 at an August auction and the Last Week Tonight team was the buyer.
- Oliver first bought the item in 2018 for $7,000 at Crowe's "The Art of the Divorce" auction.
- It was donated to the Anchorage Blockbuster, then sold at auction in 2025 for $21,000 to an anonymous buyer for public media.
John Oliver person
Oliver presents the buy-back as a joke about the show's legacy and said the team bought the item without hesitation.
“And the reason I know that is, of course we fucking bought it back.” — The Hollywood Reporter
“Of course, we did.” — Rolling Stone
Russell Crowe person
Crowe described the item as a gag when he sold it in 2018. He had not commented on the latest purchase, according to Rolling Stone.
“I put it in the collection as a piece of whimsy and a bit of a gag.” — The Hollywood Reporter
“Crowe has yet to comment.” — Rolling Stone
Left2 articles
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John Oliver Has Re-Acquired Russell Crowe’s Iconic Jock Strap
Neutral Straightforward entertainment report that gives a detailed backstory and Oliver's on-air remarks.
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John Oliver Reacquires Russell Crowe’s Infamous Jock Strap: ‘We F-ucking Bought It Back’
Celebratory Playful report that treats the buy-back as good news for late-night fans and calls the item a sort-of joke and sort-of charitable item.
Centre0 articles
No coverage yet.
Right0 articles
No coverage yet.
- 5 Oct 06:31 First The Hollywood ReporterLC John Oliver Has Re-Acquired Russell Crowe’s Iconic Jock Strap
- 5 Oct 08:26 +1h 54m Rolling StoneL John Oliver Reacquires Russell Crowe’s Infamous Jock Strap: ‘We F-ucking Bought It Back’
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.