'Gladiator II' cast walks L.A. red carpet; Ridley Scott REACTS to Denzel Washington’s comments on gay kiss, says, 'That’s nonsense. It never happened'

The cast of 'Gladiator II' attended the Los Angeles premiere of their highly anticipated film on November 18 at the TCL Chinese Theatre. Stars Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, Connie Nielsen, and Fred Hechinger were among the attendees. Denzel’s wife, Pauletta Washington, also joined the event to show her support.
At the premiere, director Ridley Scott addressed a recent claim made by Denzel Washington regarding a same-sex kiss in the film. Scott firmly denied the existence of such a scene, saying, “No, that’s nonsense. It never happened. They acted the moment, but it wasn’t part of the film.”
Denzel, in turn, clarified the situation to reporters at the event. He explained that there was no romantic kiss as rumored. Instead, he described the scene, saying, “It’s really being blown out of proportion. I kissed him on his hands, gave him a small peck, and then killed him. That’s all it was.”
The conversation arose after speculation about whether the film explored unconventional dynamics between the characters. However, both Ridley Scott and Denzel dismissed the rumors, emphasizing that the scene had no deeper implications and was being misinterpreted.
The L.A. premiere marked another major milestone for 'Gladiator II', directed by Scott as a follow-up to the iconic 2000 film. Paul Mescal stars in the sequel as Lucius, the nephew of Connie Nielsen’s character Lucilla, while Washington’s role is being praised as a powerful addition to the franchise.
Fans eagerly awaiting the movie can see it in theaters starting November 22. The event highlighted not only the excitement for the sequel but also the camaraderie among the cast and crew as they celebrated their work.