How a Russell Crowe Jockstrap, John Oliver, and Blockbuster Created One of Television’s Greatest Running Gags
The Absurd Story That Connected a Hollywood Star, a Dying Video Store, and a Koala Chlamydia Clinic
In the history of late night television, few running jokes have spiraled as gloriously out of control as the years long saga involving comedian John Oliver, actor Russell Crowe, the last surviving Blockbuster stores, and a wildlife hospital ward dedicated to treating koalas suffering from chlamydia.
What began as a random purchase at a celebrity divorce auction eventually evolved into one of the strangest celebrity feuds ever recorded, complete with movie props, charity donations, a cross continental prank war, and a leather jockstrap that somehow became a museum piece.
Nearly a decade later, the story remains one of the most beloved and bizarre chapters in the history of HBO’s Last Week Tonight.
The Auction That Started It All
The saga began in April 2018 when Russell Crowe held an auction appropriately titled The Art of Divorce. The event was designed to liquidate hundreds of personal possessions, movie props, costumes, and collectibles as part of the actor’s separation from his former wife. Among the items up for sale were artifacts from some of Crowe’s most famous films, including Gladiator, Cinderella Man, American Gangster, and Les Misérables.
While most bidders were serious collectors, one buyer had something entirely different in mind. John Oliver’s production team stayed up through the night and spent nearly $80,000 acquiring a bizarre collection of Crowe memorabilia. The centerpiece of the purchase was the leather jockstrap Crowe wore while portraying boxer James J. Braddock in the 2005 film Cinderella Man.
The item sold for approximately $7,000. For most people, that would have been the end of the story. Instead, it was merely the beginning.
Saving a Blockbuster With Movie Memorabilia
At the time, Blockbuster Video was nearing extinction. Streaming services had decimated the video rental industry, leaving only a handful of stores still operating across North America. During a segment examining the collapse of Blockbuster, Oliver spotlighted one of the chain’s final locations in Anchorage, Alaska.
Looking for a way to help the struggling store attract customers, Oliver shipped the entire collection of Russell Crowe memorabilia to Alaska. The display included the infamous jockstrap along with costumes, movie props, signed memorabilia, and Crowe’s director’s chair from American Gangster. Store employees embraced the absurdity. The items were placed inside a glass display case, transforming the Blockbuster into an unexpected tourist destination.
Visitors began making pilgrimages to see what was arguably the most famous jockstrap in America. For a brief moment, the publicity worked. National media outlets covered the story, and curious visitors flooded the store.
Russell Crowe Strikes Back
Most celebrities might have ignored the joke. Russell Crowe decided to escalate it. Rather than simply laugh at Oliver’s stunt, Crowe took the money HBO had paid for the memorabilia and donated it to the Australia Zoo, operated by the family of the late Steve Irwin.
The donation funded construction of a specialized treatment facility for koalas suffering from chlamydia, a widespread disease that has become a serious threat to wild koala populations in Australia.
Then Crowe added one final touch. The facility was officially named the “John Oliver Koala Chlamydia Ward.” The move instantly transformed an already ridiculous story into television legend.
John Oliver Achieves Peak Happiness
When Oliver learned that his name had been permanently attached to a koala sexually transmitted disease treatment center, he was thrilled. Rather than feeling insulted, he publicly declared the honor one of the greatest achievements of his life.
During an episode of Last Week Tonight, Oliver joked that he had finally accomplished everything he ever wanted and therefore had no reason to continue producing the show. The audience loved it. What had started as a simple joke involving movie memorabilia had now become a charitable fundraising effort benefiting wildlife conservation on the other side of the world.
The Last Days of Blockbuster
Unfortunately, the Alaska Blockbuster’s newfound fame was not enough to save it permanently. Despite attracting tourists and national attention, the Anchorage location closed its doors in July 2018. Before disappearing, however, the memorabilia collection briefly found a new home. The items were transferred to the last remaining Blockbuster store on Earth in Bend, Oregon, which still operates today as a nostalgic tourist attraction and symbol of a bygone era. For many visitors, the Russell Crowe display became part of the store’s mythology.
The Jockstrap Returns
Years later, Oliver revived the joke once again. The leather jockstrap returned to Last Week Tonight during an elaborate parody inspired by the Fast & Furious franchise. The comedy sketch featured over the top action sequences and even included Russell Crowe himself, who appeared as a crime boss attempting to reclaim the legendary piece of movie memorabilia. By this point, what began as a random auction purchase had evolved into a multi-year comedy universe involving Hollywood stars, endangered wildlife, and one very confused piece of sports equipment.
A Final Act for Charity
The story resurfaced once again in 2025 when Oliver announced a new charity auction featuring some of the most iconic props and artifacts from the history of Last Week Tonight. Among the featured items was the same Russell Crowe jockstrap that had traveled from a Hollywood auction house to Alaska, then Oregon, before becoming one of television’s most recognizable comedy props. The proceeds were directed toward supporting public television and radio stations, giving the infamous artifact yet another unexpected purpose.
Why the Story Endures
The Russell Crowe Blockbuster saga remains remarkable because it never followed a predictable path. It began as a divorce auction, became a campaign to save a dying video rental store, evolved into wildlife conservation fundraising, transformed into an international prank war, and ultimately returned as a charitable fundraiser.
Along the way it generated countless headlines, raised money for worthy causes, helped struggling businesses, and produced one of the most memorable running jokes in modern television history. In an era where celebrity feuds often revolve around social media insults and public controversy, the ongoing battle between John Oliver and Russell Crowe stands apart as something far rarer, a genuinely funny story where everyone involved somehow won. Even if one of the winners happened to be a koala chlamydia clinic.
