Russell Crowe's smoking causes alarm

Russell Crowe's indulgence with a cigarette threatens to cost an Australian broadcaster dear – but not «Gladiator» star who has nothing to fear.

Australian law expressly prohibits tobacco advertising on TV. TV channel «Nine Network» broadcast an interview with Crowe in which he casually took a Marlboro cigarette out and lit up. The TV standards watchdog has taken up the matter with the broadcaster. The supervisory authority is said to be particularly incensed that the interview was broadcast several times. If «Nine Network» had confined itself to one viewing of the interview with Crowe, it might have gone ignored but the fact that the TV channel repeatedly showed the interview was a clear infringement on the ban on tobacco advertising, according to the standards watchdog. For its part «Nine Network» is currently contesting the accusations in the Australian courts. For Russell Crowe, on the other hand, it's all water of a duck's back – he's got absolutely nothing to fear.