Hollywood star Denzel Washington recently opened up about a gay kiss that was deleted from his upcoming release Gladiator 2. The actor said that he “kissed a man” but the audience and the censor board probably weren’t ready for it.

Speaking with Gaiety, Denzel shared, “I actually kissed a guy in the movie 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 it anyway, so I killed him after about five minutes.”

The star has been garnering a lot of buzz at the Oscars for his performance in the film, where he plays Macrinus, a wealthy powerbroker in Rome.

The story of Gladiator 2 delves into the power struggles and vengeance in ancient Rome. Years after witnessing the heroic death of Maximus, Lucius is thrust into the brutal world of gladiators and the Colosseum. Their home has been conquered by tyrannical emperors who now rule Rome with an iron fist.

Driven by anger and a sense of duty to restore the empire’s glory, Lucius must draw strength from his past to lead Rome back to its former greatness.

Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger, Lior Raz, Derek Jacobi, Connie Nielsen and Denzel Washington join Mescal, Pascal and Washington in this grand cinematic effort. With such an impressive ensemble cast, Gladiator 2 promises to deliver an epic continuation of the beloved saga.

The film is set to release in Indian theaters on November 15, and will be available in English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu in 4DX and IMAX formats.