Was Thandiwe Newton FIRED from ‘Magic Mike 3’ over argument with Channing Tatum over Will Smith Oscar slap?
Thandiwe Newton has denied all claims that she had been kicked off her lead role in the new film 'Magic Mike 3'. She reportedly left her role after 11 days of filming following a heated argument with her co-star Channing Tatum.
Newton, 49, left the movie over a 'family matter' and will be replaced by Salma Hayek, 55, according to The Hollywood Reporter. A Warner Bros. spokesperson said, "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." The statement came right after unnamed insiders told The Sun that Newton plans on suing the studio's chiefs over the incident.
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Reportedly, the argument between Newton and Tatum took place on location in Paddington, London and ended with Tatum driving off in his car. Allegedly, the reason behind the 'unimaginably vicious' row was Will Smith's 'slapgate' incident at the 2022 Oscars.
A source said, "Channing Tatum is the producer and number one on set. Thandiwe Newton is the number two star. But 11 days into shooting and it's all over." They added, "They fell out over the debacle at The Oscars. I was on set. I watched her and watched him. They were in and out of the house where we were filming having this confrontation."
In conclusion, the insider said, "After the row he just went, 'I am not working with her anymore'. Him being a producer, it's his movie, so she's off the movie." The scenes that were shot with Newton will now have to be reshot with Salma. It was reported that the director of the movie, Steven Soderbergh, did not take any sides in the argument. However, a spokesperson for Newton said, "This report is completely inaccurate."
Meanwhile, there are reports that claim Thandiwe Newton is likely heading to rehab as the actress has been battling emotional and family problems ever since she has been separated from her husband of 24 years Ol Parker, with whom she has three children.
A source on set told Page Six, “Thandiwe had been acting strange on set, she has been very highly strung. Her apparent breakdown caused so much disruption, it became clear she couldn’t play the role."
“There is a lot going on in her personal life, she and her husband have separated. She seemed so stressed she even brought her two pet rabbits to her hotel for emotional support," the source added. Reportedly, Thandiwe's team feels that she should go to the rehab for mental support.
The original Magic Mike movie, which was released in 2012, was partially based on Channing's experience when he worked as a stripper in Tampa, Florida. It starred Channing, Alex Pettyfer, Matt Bomer, Joe Manganiello, and Matthew McConaughey. The storyline revolved around a 19-year-old named Adam who entered the world of male stripping.
Magic Mike's sequel, by the title of Magic Mike XXL, was directed by Gregory Jacobs and released in 2015. Channing confirmed that he would reprise his role for Magic Mike's Last Dance in November 2021. Channing also added, "I want dancing like we've never been able to do in the other two movies, because we had to be honest to what the reality of that world is, which isn't great dancing." He also spoke on how important having a female lead character is for the movie. He said, "I want to have an equal, if not even more centralized female character for Mike to really play off of and almost to... I don't want to say, [to have her] take the baton, but really let the movie be about a female's experience and not Mike's experience, because it has been so much about Mike and the guys' experiences. These movies are very, very female-forward. At least that is our intention."