Buyer of jockstrap sold at Russell Crowe’s ‘divorce auction’ has been uncovered

THE famous buyer of Russell Crowe’s jockstrap at his recent Sydney divorce auction has been revealed, as well as the surprising reason for the $9K purchase.

JOHN Oliver’s late-night shopping habits will benefit a good cause.

The Last Week Tonight host revealed on the latest episode of his show that he purchased Russell Crowe’s groin protector from the film Cinderella Man for a stunning $9,000.

John Oliver was the buyer of Russell Crowe's leather jockstrap. Picture: Supplied

Along with that, he picked up a number of other movie memorabilia — including clothing from Robin Hood and Les Miserables — from Crowe’s highly publicised “Art of Divorce” auction in Sydney.

Russell Crowe’s Sydney Auction in Sydney "The Art of Divorce." Picture: Supplied

The segment was preceded by a strange but fascinating short bit on the last remaining Blockbuster video stores in America — mostly located in Alaska, where internet for streaming is sparse.

Apparently, the northern state has seen three locations close over the last year, causing something of a panic among movie lovers.

“We seem to be rapidly losing something I didn’t even know we had,” Oliver quipped.

Oliver wants to save the struggling video rental retailer. Picture: AFP

To save the last franchise, located in Anchorage, Oliver said he will send all of the purchased memorabilia for the store to put on display in hopes of drawing more customers.

“All of this s — t is yours,” he said. “Just call us in the next 48 hours and we will send it to you!”

Crowe’s memorabilia auction earned more than $3.7 million.

“Not a bad hourly rate for a 5 hour shift,” he tweeted after the event.

Some of the most remarkable bids were placed for costume and prop items from the 2000 film Gladiator, including a stunt cuirass worn by Crowe when his character Maximus died.

An online bidder bought the armour for $125,000 after it was expected to fetch between $20,000 and $30,000.

A replica Roman chariot was sold for $65,000, while two life-size prop horses used in the film were also up for grabs.

This article was originally seen in the New York Post and has been republished here with permission.