Thandiwe Newton denies being fired from ‘Magic Mike’ over Channing Tatum fight
Actress Thandiwe Newton has denied reports that she was fired from “Magic Mike’s Last Dance” after getting in a heated spat with Channing Tatum over Will Smith’s infamous “Hitch” slap.
“This report is completely inaccurate,” a spokesperson for the 49-year-old “Crash” star said in a statement. Meanwhile, a representative for Warner Bros. said that Newton, who left the London set after 11 days, had reportedly departed on her own volition “to deal with family matters.”
The bombshell went against a prior report by the Sun, which stated that the Emmy winner had been canned from the “Last Dance” following an “unimaginably vicious” tiff with Tatum, 41. The two had reportedly fallen out while discussing the viral incident last month, in which Will Smith slapped Chris Rock over a bald crack about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith, who suffers from alopecia.
The argument allegedly culminated in Tatum, who is also a producer on the film, driving offset in his car, per the Sun.
“They fell out over the debacle at the Oscars,” a crewmember had claimed. “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.”
The purported eyewitness alleged that Tatum had said, “I am not working with her anymore,” adding that “being a producer, it’s his movie, so she’s off the movie.”
The source had summed it up like this, “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.”
Director Steven Soderbergh tried to diffuse the situation, but to no avail, the source reportedly said.
Newton has since been replaced by Salma Hayek, 55, who will have to reshoot all the scenes that had involved the original actress.
“Magic Mike’s Last Dance” is the third installment in the enormously successful franchise, which began with “Magic Mike” in 2012. The latter flick was loosely based on Channing’s experience working as a stripper in Tampa, Florida.
