Gladiator II director Ridley Scott claimed Denzel Washington was lying when the actor recently accused producers of cutting a scene of his character, Macrinus, kissing a man on the lips during the highly anticipated film — which hits theaters on Friday,

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.