Thandiwe Newton has denied reports that she was fired from the new Magic Mike film after an argument over Will Smith with co-star Channing Tatum.
Newton has said that she left the film after 11 days of shooting in London of her own volition.
“Thandiwe Newton has made the difficult decision to step away from the production of Warner Bros Pictures’ Magic Mike’s Last Dance to deal with family matters,” a spokesperson said in a statement.
Representatives for the actor called reports that she had been fired by Tatum, who is also a producer on the film, “completely inaccurate”.
The report, which first surfaced in the Sun, suggested that Tatum and Newton had fallen out when discussing the incident at the Oscars last month in which Smith slapped Chris Rock on stage, following a joke that had been made about his wife’s alopecia.
A source called the disagreement a “confrontation” and added that Tatum had said: “I am not working with her any more.”
Salma Hayek will take over Newton’s role.
Magic Mike’s Last Dance sees a return for Tatum to the role of male stripper Mike Lane, as well as a return to the franchise for the original’s director, Steven Soderbergh, who exited for the second film.
The two films have made over $300m at the global box office. A lucrative stage spin-off, Magic Mike Live, has had shows in Las Vegas, London, Berlin and Australia. (Guardian)
