Russell Crowe Lashes Out at Virgin Airlines for Refusing Sons' Hoverboards on Flight

This Crowe is squawking. Oscar-winning actor Russell Crowe lashed out against Virgin Australia Airlines via Twitter on Tuesday, December 29, for refusing to allow his sons' hoverboards onto the plane.

Ridiculous @VirginAustralia. No Segway boards as luggage? Too late to tell us at airport.Kids and I offloaded. Goodbye Virgin. Never again.

— Russell Crowe (@russellcrowe) December 29, 2015

The Gladiator star, 51, who shares his sons Tennyson and Charles with his estranged wife, Danielle Spencer, then followed up with another tweet.

.@VirginAustralia I'm awaiting your reply, where is your duty of responsibility in this? Why not tell me when I am booking my ticket?

— Russell Crowe (@russellcrowe) December 29, 2015

Sir Richard Branson's staffers replied to the global superstar not long after, apologizing for the incident and explaining that safety was a primary concern.

"@russellcrowe Hi Russell, due to safety concerns over the lithium ion batteries in hoverboards, these have been banned on all major Australian airlines and many around the world," the airline tweeted at the star. "We're sorry you were not aware of this prior to check-in today. We hope to see you on board again soon."

In his tweets, Crowe also demanded a response about the booking process and flight rules.

@VirginAustralia why did you not inform me when I booked my ticket? Where is your duty of responsibility in this?

— Russell Crowe (@russellcrowe) December 29, 2015

Virgin claimed that the ban is, in fact, listed in the flight rule book. "@russellcrowe Hi Russell, this information is outlined in the Dangerous Goods section in the booking confirmation and check in reminder emails you will have received," the airline noted. "We have also communicated this on Facebook and Twitter, as well as through the media. We understand your frustration, however please appreciate that safety is our number one priority."

As the hullabaloo continued, a comedian named Joel Creasey offered up a suggestion of his own. "You're a millionaire, babe. Get some perspective," he wrote in response to Crowe's initial tweet. "Enjoy Tiger. They don't even have real pilots x."

Crowe replied: "@joelcreasey @VirginAustralia I'm a father Joel, with two kids at an airport , trying to start our holiday."

Hoverboards have been plagued with controversy since reports surfaced that the devices have the potential to burst into flames. Many believe the safety concern is largely due to the lithium ion batteries required in the wildly popular toys.

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