Russell Crowe's weight has ballooned in the years after his ripped and bulked Gladiator role in 2000, and insiders said the star has been in "denial" about his gain, RadarOnline.com has learned.

Russell Crowe and his girlfriend Britney Theriot were ... the Beverly Hills Hotel for not allowing her to eat there over ripped jeans. Get a brief on the top business stories of the week ...

Scott’s highly anticipated follow-up to the 2000 classic starring Russell Crowe will tell the story ... five mins of seriously ripped Paul Mescal, spit-talking Joseph Quinn taking over Joaquin ...

From the second the news broke that Paul Mescal would feature in Gladiator II, chat turned to how he would buff up his body to match the massiveness of Russell Crowe in the original movie.