EXCLUSIVE: Gladiator Grudge Match! Inside Russell Crowe and Paul Mescal's Bust-Up After Hollywood Grouch Slated Sword-and-Sandals Sequel
Russell Crowe and Paul Mescal have been facing tensions linked to a planned 'Gladiator' sequel and creative disagreements.
Jan. 26 2026, Published 8:00 a.m. ET
Aging swordfighter Russell Crowe is on the rampage against younger rival Paul Mescal, squawking from the rooftops that Gladiator II sucked – and RadarOnline.com can reveal the resentful rogue's ruffling a lot of powerful feathers in Tinseltown, and his sandal-wearing successor thinks he's just a "grumpy old man."
The burly Crowe, 61, insists the success of the five-Oscar-winning original was due to "its moral core" and his character being a good guy.
But the sequel identifies Mescal as Crowe's illegitimate son. Crowe said: "So, you're saying, at the same time he [Maximus] had this relationship with his wife, he was f**king this other girl? What are you talking about? It's crazy."
Crowe Trashes Sequel, Feud Ignites
Paul Mescal is said to be angered after Russell Crowe publicly criticized 'Gladiator II.'
He slammed folks who made the sequel for "not actually understanding what made that first one special."
Crowe nabbed the Best Actor Oscar for his role in the original 2000 sword-and-sandal epic that cost $103million to film and reaped a whopping $465million, making it a huge financial success.
Meanwhile, Mescal's 2024 sequel cost a whopping $310million while pulling in $462million – meaning it made little or no profit.
Now Crowe's slam has his younger rival up in arms and has triggered a fiery feud, said sources.
Mescal Fires Back At Crowe
An insider claimed Crowe dismissed the sequel's storyline involving Maximus as misguided.
"Paul is understandably offended and angry," noted an insider. "He finds it pretty pathetic that Russell can't just pass the torch and wish them all well. It's like he's clinging to his glory days when he was the hot young star."
"But those days are over. As far as Paul is concerned, Russell is nothing but a grumpy old man who can't accept that it's time to take a bow and let the younger generation take over, so he's yelling out insults from the void."
Ironically, the 29-year-old Mescal was a Crowe-lover.
Former Hero Becomes Bitter Foe
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Sources said the feud intensified as 'Gladiator II' struggled to turn a profit despite its box office haul.
"It is disappointing as hell because he was always such a fan of Gladiator, and of Russell, growing up," noted the insider.
"He never imagined that one day this guy that he admires would turn out to be such a jerk."
And Crowe's squawking could end up hurting his future.
"It's being seen as alienating potential ticket buyers. It's very shortsighted since these are the same people that hire him," added the source.
"But Russ can't let it go."
