John Oliver Reacquires Russell Crowe’s Infamous Jock Strap

Great news, late-night fans: John Oliver is yet again in possession of a jock strap worn by Russell Crowe for Cinderella Man. The jock strap has been acquired by the Last Week Tonight show host several times and has a long history as a sort-of joke and sort-of charitable item.

Oliver initially bought the undergarment in 2018 during an auction Crowe dubbed “The Art of the Divorce,” which involved the actor selling more than 200 items in the wake of his divorce from Danielle Spencer. Last Week Tonight purchased it for $7,000 and eventually donated it to the last remaining Blockbuster Video store in Anchorage, Alaska, in an effort to boost their business. Crowe said he donated the profits to the Australia Zoo, which said it would use the money to fund the “John Oliver Koala Chlamydia Ward.”

After the Blockbuster Video shop closed that same year, the jockstrap made its way back to Oliver. He reunited it with Crowe in a segment on Last Week Tonight. In 2025, Last Week Tonight put it up auction again to help raise funds for public TV and radio stations. This time it was bought for $21,000 from an anonymous buyer. It went up for auction yet again in August, where someone paid $10,000 to acquire the jock strap. That someone was apparently Oliver.

“I’m pretty confident the historical legacy of this show will be a few hundred thousand dollars for food banks, a koala chlamydia ward, and whatever the fuck is going on with Russell Crowe’s jockstrap right now,” Oliver said on Sunday night’s episode of Last Week Tonight. “Because, quick update, after we auctioned the jockstrap off at the end of last year in aid of public media, it was apparently put up for auction again in August, where, I’m happy to tell you it sold for $10,000. And the reason I know that is, of course we fucking bought it back. Of course, we did.”

Oliver added, speaking directly to the jock strap, “I cannot wait to find out where you’re gonna go next.” Crowe has yet to comment.