As Gladiator 2 nears its release, director Ridley Scott and actor Denzel Washington addressed reports of a deleted same-s*x kiss scene, clarifying its absence from the final cut. Cast members Connie Nielsen and producer Michael Pruss also discussed the film’s edits and their impact on the story.

"It's Gladiator. It's the kiss of death." Denzel Washington said his same-sex kiss scene was cut from the film (Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures) However, Scott has pretty firmly disputed this assertion from Washington, according to a Variety article.