Ridley Scott denies that Denzel Washington had a same-sex kiss in Gladiator II

Director Sir Ridley Scott has called Denzel Washington’s claim that his same-sex kiss was cut from new film Gladiator II “bullsh*t”.

Speaking at the Hollywood premiere of the film – which also stars Irish actor Paul Mescal – Scott continued: “They never did. They acted the moment – it didn’t happen.”

It comes as 69-year-old Washington, who plays a bisexual slave trader in the film, claimed last month in an interview with Gayety that his character had a same-sex kiss in the film. “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,” he said.

However, it seems that industry veteran Washington, who has starred in a number of blockbusters over the years, has changed his stance since the initial interview.

At the premiere, he referred to the alleged scene as a “peck” on the lips. “It really is much ado about nothing. They’re making more of it than it was,” he said. “I kissed him on his hands, I gave him a peck and I killed him.”

Actress Connie Nielsen, who appeared in the original Gladiator film as well as the sequel, told Variety on Sunday that one of her scenes was also cut from the final edit. “My grieving scene didn’t make it into the film either,” she said. “It’s not homophobia. It’s just there was no room for it.”

The film, a sequel to the original movie released in 2000, has got positive reviews from critics and has grossed $87 million (around £69 million) so far, breaking Scott’s box-office opening record. Another sequel is reportedly in the works.

Mescal, 28, made headlines himself recently after saying that meeting King Charles at last week’s London premiere of the film was not on his “list of priorities”. “How wild is it? It’s definitely not something that I thought was in the bingo cards,” he told Variety.

“I’m Irish, so it’s not on the list of priorities. But it’s an amazing thing for Ridley because I know how important that is for him.”