Denzel Washington may have said that his same-sex kiss in “Gladiator II” was edited out of the film because the powers that be got “chicken,” but according to director Ridley Scott, the kiss may not have happened at all.

“No, that’s bullshit,” Scott told me Monday night at the Hollywood premiere of “Gladiator II.” He later added: ‘They never did that. They acted at the time – it didn’t happen.”

Washington, meanwhile, claimed it was just a “kiss” on the lips. “It’s really much ado about nothing,” Washington said at the premiere. ‘They’re making more of it than it was. I kissed him on his hands, gave him a kiss and killed him.’

During a recent interview with Gaytey, Washington revealed, “I actually kissed a guy in the movie, but they took him out, they cut him off, I think they got chicken. I kissed a guy full on the lips and I don’t think they were ready for that yet. I killed him about five minutes later. It’s ‘Gladiator.’ It is the kiss of death.”

The “Gladiator II” script mentions that Washington’s character, Macrinus, has had relationships with other men in the past.

At the Governors Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday night, Connie Nielsen — who reprises her role as Lucilla in the “Gladiator” sequel — shared her thoughts on Washington’s cut gay kiss scene.

“My mourning scene didn’t make it into the movie either,” Nielsen told me. “It’s not homophobia. There just wasn’t room for it.”

Producer Michael Pruss added: “So many things were shot that didn’t make it into the movie. It was really a non-event.”

Paul Mescal, who plays Lucius (son of Russell Crowe’s character in the original 2000 film), recently told Attitude magazine that the film will appeal to a diverse audience. “I think this movie is for the boys, the gays, the girls, the moms and the dads,” he said, adding, “The brothers will love it too, don’t get me wrong.”

Nielsen also spoke about Mescal at the Governors Awards. “He’s such a great actor,” she said. “It’s incredible how much he has done in such a short time. He’s really very gifted, not only as an artist, but I think just as a human being. The fact that he can withstand this kind of pressure at a young age is commendable and amazing, and he is a nice person.”

“Gladiator II” hits theaters Friday.