Was Danielle Spencer's close friendship with dancer Damian Whitewood the first sign of cracks in her marriage to Russell Crowe?
It was reported on Monday that Russell Crowe had split from his wife of nine years, Danielle Spencer.
But now speculation is mounting Danielle's close friendship and bond with her Australian Dancing With The Stars partner Damian Whitewood could have shown the first cracks in their marriage.
That and the fact Crowe had been missing from her side for much of the year thanks to his hectic work schedule abroad.
The singer/actress built up a friendship with the dancer during her stint on the Australian version of Strictly Come Dancing earlier this year.
Scroll down for video
Friendship: Danielle Spencer's bond with her Dancing With The Stars dance partner Damian Whitewood may have shown the first cracks in their marriage
Close friends: There is speculation Danielle Spencer's bond with her Dancing With The Stars Australia partner Damian Whitewood which could have contributed the marriage downfall
And she allegedly turned to Damian for companionship while Crowe spent most of his time in England filming Les Miserables.
It was just a few months ago that Spencer was spotted enjoying a night out with Whitewood following their strong bond on the TV show.
And during her time on the series she was happy to show off just how well they got on with her series of Twitter photos.
They didn't just get along in the dance rehearsals as they went to several concerts together and kept their fans up to date online with their nights out.
Bond: The singer/actress grew close to Damian while she appeared on the Australian version of the dance contest earlier this year
Dance partners: While Russell was busy away from Australia filming his many movies, Danielle was concentrating on her dance rehearsals with Damian
Time together: It's thought that Spencer turned to Damian for friendship while Russell was busy working earlier this year
Although there is no suggestion they were having an affair.
But Crowe later made a point of dismissing any rumours about their relationship when he gave his wife a lingering kiss in front of the cameras at Sydney Airport.
Although the demands of his acting career kept him away from Miss Spencer for much of this year.
He has also missed most of the season of the South Sydney Rabbitohs, the rugby league club in which he has a financial interest.
Crowe has six films coming out in the next 12 months – The Man with the Iron Fists, Les Miserables, Broken City, Man of Steel, Noah and Winter's Tale.
And it's mainly been Les Miserables where he's had to dedicate his time while his wife was competing in the dance show.
Still together: Russell tried to dispel rumours about the state of their relationship when he packed on the PDA at Sydney airport over the summer
The Gladiator star, 48, was snapped yesterday smiling broadly into a camera with his huge beard on display; and he didn't look like he had a care in the world.
The notoriously angry Crowe's sunny demeanour may come as a bit of a surprise to those who have been blindsided by the development in his long-term life.
The news came as a shock in showbusiness circles as the couple were regarded as having a strong marriage, despite the demands of their respective careers.
Nights out: Away from Dancing With The Stars the pair met up to enjoy concert nights out together
On screen: Danielle and Damian became close friends as they performed on the dancing contest as partners
Miss Spencer is seen as the quiet, unassuming woman who tamed Crowe with her calm and steady nature.
The 43-year-old singer once said of her husband's fame and fortune: 'All that stuff has nothing to do with me as a person.'
The couple, who have two children – Charles and Tennyson, aged eight and six – parted on friendly terms, according to the Sydney Morning Herald, which reported the split yesterday.
It's thought Russell's busy movie filming schedule meant they grew apart as he spent a lot of his time in London shooting Les Miserables while his wife remained in Australia
The children have remained with Miss Spencer while Crowe continues filming the biblical epic Noah in the US, it is said.
The couple, who met 22 years ago on the set of the movie The Crossing, were married in a chapel on Crowe's farm in the hamlet of Nana Glen, in northern New South Wales, in 2003.
After the wedding Crowe said the thought of marrying Miss Spencer had crossed his mind the first time he met her.
They lived in a penthouse on the shores of Sydney Harbour before moving into a £6million mansion in the suburb of Rose Bay.
Representatives for both stars have been contacted by the MailOnline for comment.
As they were: Russell met Danielle 22 years ago but they walked down the aisle nine years ago and have two children together
VIDEO: Russell and Danielle call it quits after nine years...
Most watched News videos
- Shocking moment bus driver shoved by angry man in front of daughter
- Shocking moment semi-naked Brit tourist bites motorcyclist in India
- Well wisher tells King to 'keep going strong' after Easter service
- Shocking moment semi-naked Brit tourist bites motorcyclist in India
- Rishi Sunak responds to death of British aid worker in Gaza
- Mum slams school for removing her daughter from school picture
- Disturbing moment yobs shove woman to the ground in Scotland
- 'Why is that funny?': Rishi Sunak challenged by local radio host
- Cloud of smoke erupts after aircraft smashes into Russian plant
- Moment youths assault emergency worker during a brawl in Barnham
- Mounting backlash against British holidaymakers in Tenerife
- Welsh takeaway goes viral after owners release hilarious kebab covers
