Hollywood drama just got juicier than a tabloid sandwich! Denzel Washington, the 69-year-old acting legend, recently let slip that he had filmed a steamy same-sex smooch for Gladiator II. But plot twist: the kiss was cut! Naturally, everyone assumed the studio wasn’t ready to swap swords for smoldering romance, but an insider has spilled the beans—and it’s quite the plot twist.
Apparently, the kiss wasn’t even in the script. That’s right—Denzel went rogue! According to a production insider, this wasn’t some Brokeback Coliseum subplot the studio chickened out on; it was just one of several improvised moments. And if you thought one kiss was enough, hold onto your helmets because there were multiple takes. Imagine the outtakes: Denzel trying different angles, maybe throwing in a wink, and the other actor wondering if they should ask for hazard pay.
But why wasn’t the kiss included? The insider swears it was just “a story choice” and insists there’s “no prejudice” involved. Translation: someone in the editing room probably mumbled, ‘This doesn’t quite fit with the whole ‘blood, guts, and revenge’ vibe.’
Denzel, ever the charmer, is having none of it. “I actually kissed a man in the film, but they took it out,” he said in an interview with Gayety. “I kissed the guy full on the lips. I guess they weren’t ready for that yet.” Honestly, this man is so unbothered, he could make anything sound suave—“Oh, they cut my scene? Guess they’re just not emotionally evolved enough to handle my gladiatorial affection.”
In case you’re dying to see what did make the cut, Gladiator II slashes its way into theaters on November 22. Will it be worth the ticket price without Denzel’s unscripted kiss? Probably, but let’s pour one out for the groundbreaking romance that almost was.
