Gladiator II director Ridley Scott denied Denzel Washington's claim of a same-sex kiss in a scene that was cut from the new sequel to 2000's Gladiator.
During a red carpet interview with Variety at the Los Angeles premiere of Gladiator II, Scott called B.S. on Washington's so-called "kiss of death" he mentioned in a previous interview with Gayety’s Caitlynn McDaniel.
The 69-year-old thespian, who plays the power-hungry character, Macrinus, said in the October 31 interview:
“I actually kissed a man in the film, but they took it out, they cut it, I think they got chicken."
"I kissed a guy full on the lips, and I guess they’re not ready for that," he said, adding that he killed the character afterward.
However, that wasn't how Scott remembered things.
He told the media outlet:
"No, that's bullsh*t."
Ridley Scott says Denzel Washington’s same-sex kiss in Gladiator II ‘didn’t happen’
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— The Guardian (@theguardian.com) November 19, 2024 at 4:20 AM
When the media outlet's reporter pressed the puzzled director in case his memory was fuzzy, Scott clarified Macrimus was in a scene with an unnamed "Senator" but the lip-lock between the two characters never took place.
When the unconvinced reporter clarified again what Washington stated about the homoerotic scene that wound up on the cutting room floor, Scott said:
"They never did. They acted the moment."
Scott, at a loss over how to persuade people of his take on the situation, jokingly approached the interviewer and asked to demonstrate with him how the alleged intimate scene actually played out.
You can watch a clip here.
Social media users were wondering if the two gentlemen were okay.
Are Ridley and Denzel beefing? Is that what's happening here?
— thiefkingix.bsky.social (@thiefkingix.bsky.social) November 19, 2024 at 5:55 PM
So either Denzel is exaggerating, or Ridley is try to cover himself?
— Lepi182 (@lepi182.bsky.social) November 19, 2024 at 4:33 AM
Users continued scratching their heads over Scott's answer.
Users continued putting in their two cents.
literally no one gaf abt ridley… we need that gay kiss naowww
— mahal (@holsssom.bsky.social) November 18, 2024 at 11:10 PM
They acted what moment exactly, Ridley?
— Nono (@nonononomo.bsky.social) November 18, 2024 at 11:40 PM
Yeah I'm believing Denzel before I believe Scott
— The OcCULTure Critic (@occulturecritic.bsky.social) November 18, 2024 at 7:33 PM
Variety later caught up with Washington to get the skinny on the kissing scene once and for all.
The actor clarified the kiss was more of a "peck" on the lips than a full-on make-out sesh.
He commented on the public's interpretation of the situation, saying:
“It really is much ado about nothing. They’re making more of it than it was."
"I kissed him on his hands, I gave him a peck and I killed him.”
Gladiator II was apparently robbed of another scene suggesting homoerotic tension between two masculine, sandaled warriors.
Paul Mescal, who didn't train as hard as you'd think in physical preparation to play Lucius Verus in the historical epic action film, said he kissed the forehead of his co-star Pedro Pascal, who portrays Marcus Acacius.
The 28-year-old star told to Entertainment Weekly:
"There was a moment when we were rehearsing my fight scene with Pedro, and I had an idea towards the end of the scene to kiss Pedro on the forehead."
"I did it in one of the takes, and then we're getting the radio messages back to Ridley...and I was like, 'Ridley: Kiss on the forehead, did you like it? Yay or nay?' "
"There was radio silence for a second. His radio crackles back, and [Ridley] goes, 'I'm afraid I did.'"
Alas, that scene was ultimately scrapped.
While it wouldn't be the strangest thing to have beefy male gladiators taking their restrained combat-weary aggressions out on each other by sucking face in ancient Rome, we won't be seeing any of that in the final cut of Gladiator II, which is already smashing box office records overseas.
