Rusty 'stressed over ex' before Azealia Banks row

All hell broke loose last week when Azealia Banks accused Russell Crowe of spitting on her, and calling her the n-word during a party in his hotel suite.

And while guests including Aussie comedian Jim Jefferies and Wu Tang Clan member RZA have exonerated Rusty, claiming it was Azealia who lost it, Woman's Day reckons that Russell's been having a hard time of late, since his estranged wife Danielle Spencer stepped out with her new beau Adam Long.

Danielle, 47, who wed Rusty in 2003, made her red carpet debut with her author boyfriend at Dream Lover: The Bobby Darin Musical on October 6.

And Woman's Day reports that the move would have "felt like a dagger to the heart" for the star, who has reportedly always wanted to win back Danielle's affections since their separation in 2012.

Russell told The Sunday Times in 2015: "'I've loved Danielle Spencer since 1989 - that's never going to change."

RELATED: Why Azealia Banks reckons Rusty's trying to 'frame her'
RELATED: Jim Jefferies claims Azealia's a 'liar' and Rusty's 'innocent'

Meanwhile, Azealia has revealed that she no longer plans to press charges against Russell over their recent hotel room incident, but that doesn’t mean she’s willing to back down entirely.

The 29-year-old had previously claimed the actor called her racist names, before choking her and spitting on her at a party at the Beverly Hotel.

But after various witnesses came forward, including rapper RZA and Aussie comic Jim Jeffries, Azealia began to sing an entirely different tune.

She told Us Weekly: “Realistically, to be honest, I really don’t want to. Because I just don’t want this in the media.”

She added: “I want my music out. I just want to f***ing put my music out. I just want my music to shine. I don’t want to be dealing with another episode, another thing, another whatever.”

But the rapper also hinted she might still sue the actor if he doesn’t apologise, which he’s already reportedly said he won’t do.

“[Russell] feels that he did nothing wrong,” she told the publication. “So I’m just like, ‘OK, if you want to pay a bunch of litigators and a bunch of people to apologize to me, then I guess that’s what you want to do.

“You could apologize to me for free now and make this all go away.”

She continued: “Like, I could just see him boiling. And he was just trying to, like, figure out how he was going to get me out of here. I even started putting on my shoes at that point.

“Even if I were being erratic, you should have enough sense to have me escorted out properly, and keep your hands and your spit to yourself,” she added.

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