Gladiator 2 star clarifies the reason behind deleting Denzel Washington’s gay kiss scene from the film, denying homophobia allegations.

Gladiator 2 might not be as huge of a success as its prequel, but so far it is going well. From reviews to the cast performances, the epic historical action film has been well-received. Yet, just days into its release, the film has already stirred up controversy due to a ‘deleted’ scene.

Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator 2 | Credit: Paramount Pictures

Recently Denzel Washington revealed he had a kissing scene with a man which was deleted, leading to allegations of ‘homophobia.’ Yet, his co-star Connie Nielsen recently came to the defense of the film, denying such allegations.

Connie Nielsen Defends Deleting Denzel Washington’s Gay Scene from Gladiator 2

Denzel Washington in Gladiator II | Credits: Paramount Pictures

Ridley Scott‘s sequel to the award-winning Gladiator is finally here and so far the film has been doing better than what most expected. While Paul Mescal stars as the lead and center of the film, Denzel Washington as Macrinus, is the one who stole the spotlight with his impeccable performance, leading to significant Oscar buzz.

In the midst of all this praise and acclaim, the actor, in an interview with Gayety revealed he kissed a man on the lips during one scene of the film. However, the scene never made it to the final cut and was deleted due to reasons unknown. This kicked up allegations and rumors of homophobia against the makers of Gladiator 2.

#Gladiator2 star Connie Nielsen on the gay kiss that was cut from the final film: “It’s not homophobia. There was no room for it.” https://t.co/THP0HYn2wa pic.twitter.com/lMLU2JcnBN

— Variety (@Variety) November 18, 2024

However, Washington’s co-star Connie Nielsen came to the defense of the film and the production, dismissing all such claims. In an interview with Variety, while on the Red Carpet for the Governors Awards 2024, the actress remarked,

It’s not homophobia. It’s just, there was no room for it.

Meanwhile, producer Michael Pruss too chimed in and stated that several more scenes did not make it into the film. Thus, essentially debunking the rumors of the film and makers being allegedly homophobic, they revealed the gay scene not making it into the film was due to creative decisions.

What Denzel Washinton Said About His Deleted Gay Scene

Paul Mescal and Denzel Washington in Gladiator II | Credit: Paramount Pictures

Denzel Washington gave yet another performance of a lifetime in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator 2. Starring as a former slave-turned-owner of several gladiators called Macrinus, the actor is absolutely brilliant to watch and steals away the spotlight from the main leads.

While talking about his character in a recent interview with Gayety, Washington was asked about how ‘gay is the Roman Empire,’ to which he revealed he had a kissing scene in the film with a man. Talking about the now-deleted scene, he remarked,

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 weren’t ready for that yet. I killed him about five minutes later. It’s ‘Gladiator.’ It’s the kiss of death.

While his revelation caused a bit of controversy for the film, his response emphasizes the complex process of filmmaking and everything that goes on behind the scenes. Ultimately, even without the said scene or the plethora of other stuff not having made it into the film, there is no denying that Denzel Washington is the true star of the film.

Gladiator 2 will hit the theatres in the United States on November 22, 2024.