John Oliver Has Re-Acquired Russell Crowe’s Iconic Jock Strap
John Oliver’s team has bought back Russell Crowe’s “Cinderella Man” jock strap, reclaiming the item for the third time after it reappeared at auction. Its repeated sales and donations have turned a film prop into an unlikely fundraising story linked to public media, food banks and an Australian wildlife hospital.
Oliver first bought the garment for $7,000 and later donated it to Anchorage’s last Blockbuster store; after the shop closed, it returned to his show. It sold for $21,000 in a 2025 auction supporting public television and radio, then fetched $10,000 at another auction in August, where Oliver’s team was the buyer. Crowe had earlier said his auction proceeds would support Australia Zoo’s “John Oliver Koala Chlamydia Ward”.
- Oliver’s team bought Crowe’s jock strap back for $10,000.
- The film prop has changed hands through several auctions.
- Earlier sales supported public media and charitable causes.
New here? Start with this
This is a jock strap worn by Russell Crowe in the 2005 film "Cinderella Man", about a boxer during the Great Depression. Though merely a costume prop, the garment has become an unlikely subject of repeated buying and selling, with each transaction raising money for charity.
John Oliver, a television presenter and comedian, has been central to the jock strap's journey, purchasing it privately and later donating it to the last Blockbuster store in Anchorage. After the store closed, the item re-entered the world of fundraising auctions.
The jock strap has since been auctioned several times in support of various causes, from public television and radio to Australian wildlife conservation. Russell Crowe indicated that some auction proceeds would benefit a koala chlamydia treatment ward at Australia Zoo.