Why is Thandiwe Newton heading to rehab? Actress upset amid separation, Magic Mike exit
Thandiwe Newton is probably heading to rehab after she exited from Warner Bros. Pictures’ 'Magic Mike' sequel for acting strangely on set amid the breakdown of her marriage with British director, Ol Parker.
The 'Mission: Impossible 2' star was reportedly fired from the third installment of the series, 'Magic Mike’s Last Dance,' as she got into an argument with co-star Channing Tatum over Will Smith’s infamous Oscar slap. But, the actress denied the claim and Warner Bros also claims that the actress is stepping away due to family matters. A Warner Bros. spokesperson earlier said Newton "made the difficult decision to step away from the production of Warner Bros. Pictures’ ‘Magic Mike’s Last Dance’ to deal with family matters."
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After she exited from the sequel, her agent flew in from Los Angeles to try to smooth things over, but on Tuesday, April 12, the 49-year-old actress was flown back to the States to hopefully check into a facility.
Multiple sources say that Newton has been going through a tough time as she is facing emotional as well as family problems after separating from her husband of 24 years, Ol Parker, with whom she has three children - Ripley, Nico and Brooker. The breakdown of such a long relationship is causing emotional problems for the actress. The news of her and Parker's seperation comes after she decided to step away from her role in Magic Mike.
A source on set told PageSix, "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 continued, "She fired her UK agent of three decades, and then her US agent, Gaby Morgerman, flew in from Los Angeles to try to calm things down. Thandiwe’s team wants her to go to rehab for mental health support. She was supposed to leave immediately for a facility."
"They tried for a Malibu rehab, but they couldn’t take her. Arrangements are now being made to go to a facility in Arizona, if she agrees to go", the source added. After all this, it is likely that Newton will be heading to rehab, if not in Arizona, then somewhere else.
Meanwhile, producers have replaced Newton's part with actress Salma Hayek, and all the scenes involving her character will have to be shot again.