Denzel Washington had same-sex kiss in ‘Gladiator II,’ but it was cut

Denzel Washington says he had a same-sex buss successful Ridley Scott’s hotly anticipated “Gladiator” sequel, but it won’t spot the airy of day.

The two-time Oscar winner, 69, precocious told LGBTQ+ outlet Gayety astir the kiss, which didn’t marque the last chopped successful “Gladiator II,” which opens adjacent week.

“I really kissed a antheral successful the film, but they … chopped it. I deliberation they got chicken,” said Washington. “I kissed a feline afloat connected the lips, but I conjecture they weren’t acceptable for that yet. … I killed him astir 5 minutes later. … It’s ‘Gladiator.’ The buss of death.”

The outlet said Washington’s “Gladiator II” character, Macrinus, references having had aggregate same-sex relationships.

Late past month, Paul Mescal, who plays Lucius, revealed that helium improvised a forehead buss with co-star Pedro Pascal’s Marcus Acacius.

“There was a infinitesimal erstwhile we were rehearsing my combat country with Pedro, and I had an thought towards the extremity of the country to buss Pedro connected the forehead,” the “Normal People” star, 28, told Entertainment Weekly. “I did it successful 1 of the takes, and past we’re getting the vigor messages backmost to Ridley [in video village], and I was like, ‘Ridley: Kiss connected the forehead, did you similar it? Yay oregon nay? There was vigor soundlessness for a second. His vigor crackles back, and [Ridley] goes, ‘I’m acrophobic I did.'”

Even so, four-time Oscar nominee Scott reportedly scrapped the buss successful the sequel to his Best Picture-nominated predecessor.

Beloved by audiences and critics alike, the archetypal “Gladiator,” which starred Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix and Connie Nielsen, took location 5 Oscars.

Nearly 25 years aft its May 2000 release, “Gladiator II” — successful which Nielsen volition reprise her relation arsenic Lucilla — volition deed theaters Nov. 22.