Gladiator II director Ridley Scott shuts down claims that a same-sex kiss has been removed from the new film.

Denzel Washingtonwho plays the power-hungry former slave Macrinus in the film, recently said he kissed a man on the lips, but the moment didn’t make the final cut.

‘No, that’s b…t. It was a senator. They never did that. They acted in the moment and it didn’t happen,” Scott, 86, said Variety on the red carpet at the Gladiator II Premieres in Los Angeles on Monday, November 18.

In an interview with Gayety published on October 31, Washington, 69, said: “I actually kissed a guy in the movie, but they took him out and cut him out. I think they have chicken.

The Oscar winner continued: “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. Are Gladiator. It is the kiss of death.”

However, speak Variety On Monday night, Washington said the kiss was just a “peck” on the lips.

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

Speak with Variety at the Governors Ball in Los Angeles on Sunday, November 17, producer Michael Prussia said of the scene: “There was so much shooting that didn’t make it into the movie. It was really a non-event.”

Meanwhile actress Connie Nielsenwho reprises her Gladiator role as Lucilla, the outlet shared that some of her scenes were also cut from the sequel.

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“My mourning scene didn’t make it into the film either. It’s not homophobia. There just wasn’t room for it,” she said.

Gladiator II stars Paul Mescal28, as Lucius, the former heir of Rome who is forced to become a gladiator. Pedro Pascal, 49, plays a general named Marcus Acacius. Although their characters are on-screen rivals, the actors teased that they also shared a tender moment in the film that was shot.

“There was a moment where 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,” Mescal said. Entertainment weekly in October. “I did it in one of the takes, and then we send the radio messages back to Ridley (in video village), and I was like, ‘Ridley: Kiss on the forehead, did you like it? Yes or no?’ There was a second of radio silence. His radio crackles back and (Ridley) says, “I’m afraid I did that.”

Gladiator II can be seen in cinemas from Friday 22 November.