Russell Crowe and Jodie Foster have stayed super close since their short-lived romance in the late 1990s, and now the actress is urging him to finally find the courage to marry longtime girlfriend Britney Theriot after dragging his feet for years, a source exclusively tells Closer

“There’s an unbreakable bond between Jodie and Russell and they’ve been baring their souls to each other for decades,” the insider, who is close to Russell, 60, says. 

Silence of the Lambs star Jodie, 61, dated the Gladiator hunk briefly in 1999, but they split after just a few months together, remaining friends since. 

The True Detective: Night Country actress is now married to photographer Alexandra Hedison, with whom she tied the knot in 2014, and also coparents her two boys, Kit, 22, and Charles, 26, with ex wife Cydney Bernard

Leading man Russell, on the other hand, had a string of extremely short relationships in the late 90s and early 2000s, eventually leading to the 3:10 to Yuma star to marry Aussie actress Danielle Spencer in 2003.

The pair separated in 2012 and finalized their divorce in 2018. They share two sons, Charles, 20, and Tennyson, 18. 

“Jodie has had a very rewarding family life and has really grown into middle age with Russell and she wants the best for him, especially in this chapter of his life, where he deserves some peace and a happy home life.” 

“In Jodie’s view, Russell has to make things official with Britney and not keep dragging this relationship on like a never-ending Tinder date.” 

Jodie Foster Urging Russell Crowe to Wed Britney Theriot (EXCLUSIVE)
Kevin Mazur Archive/WireImage

The New Orleans native met the New Zealand Oscar winner back in 2013, when they were filming Broken City, but weren’t linked romantically until much later.

The Beautiful Mind star has kept his relationship with actress Britney, 32, low key since the two were spotted getting cozy on a tennis court in November 2020, as seen in photos published by the Daily Mail.

Two years later, the two made their first official appearance together, making their debut on the Poker Face red carpet in October 2022.

Lending credence to Jodie’s hopes for a potential proposal, Britney also gets along well with Russell’s kids. In July 2022, Russell posted a photo to X along with his gal and two sons in Rome, the main setting of his blockbuster hit Gladiator.

“Taking the kids to see my old office,” Russell wrote.

The actor gushed about his romance to People in February, describing a moment he shared with her on the dance floor recently: “I took her into my arms and we danced. Using the type of moves my old man would, spinning her around and bringing her back.” 

“Her eyes were sparkling with the fun of it all. For a couple of minutes, [everyone] stopped and watched. It was like a scene from a movie.”

If Russell’s good friend Jodie has anything to say about the matter, the movie will end like a rom com with a proposal and a happily ever after. 

“The funny thing is,” the source continues, “Russell takes Jodie’s opinions incredibly seriously – he worshiped her when he was coming up as an actor and is still incredibly grateful for their unique friendship.”