Ridley Scott firmly shut down Denzel Washington’s claims of filming a same-sex kiss in “Gladiator II” sparking more controversy.
Ridley Scott has firmly rejected Denzel Washington’s assertion that a same-sex kiss was originally filmed for “Gladiator II” but later removed, dismissing the idea as false during a Monday premiere in Los Angeles.
In an interview, Washington made waves when he claimed to have filmed a scene for Scott’s upcoming historical epic where his character kissed another male character “full on the lips” before that moment was allegedly cut.
When asked about the statement during the star-studded red carpet event, Scott didn’t mince words.
“No, that’s b#######,” the British filmmaker told reporters from Variety. “They never did. They acted the moment—it didn’t happen.”
Responding later that same evening to the attention his comments had gained, Washington softened his previous remarks, clarifying that the kiss had been more of a brief gesture than anything substantial.
“It really is much ado about nothing,” Washington said. “They’re making more of it than it was. I kissed him on his hands, I gave him a peck, and I killed him.”
Washington had earlier stirred the conversation during an interview with LGBTQ+ publication Gayety, where he disclosed a same-sex kiss involving his character Macrinus, who Washington described as being attracted to both men and women.
He claimed the scene was ultimately cut—perhaps, he theorized, due to the filmmakers’ hesitance on the matter.
“I actually kissed a man in the film, but they took it out,” Washington told Gayety. “I kissed a guy full on the lips and I guess they weren’t ready for that yet. I killed him five minutes later. It’s Gladiator. It’s the kiss of death.”
Washington’s remarks generated further discussion on the editing choices made in “Gladiator II,” but Scott remained resolute, while others tied to the production also downplayed the situation.
Actress Connie Nielsen, who also stars in the film, addressed those claims during the Governors Awards in Los Angeles, suggesting that various scenes—hers included—didn’t make the final cut simply due to time constraints.
“My grieving scene didn’t make it into the film either,” Nielsen explained. “It’s not homophobia. It’s just there was no room for it.”
Producer Michael Pruss echoed this sentiment. “There was so much stuff that was shot that didn’t make it into the film. It was truly a non-event.”
“Gladiator II,” featuring Paul Mescal in a lead role, has already launched in the UK and is set to arrive in U.S. theaters Friday.