“Nothing I Ever Saw Was Accurate,”- Steven Soderbergh Opens Up About About Thandie Newton and Channing Tatum Fight Over Will Smith’s Oscars Slapgate

Published 02/14/2023, 1:32 PM EST

via Imago

Magic Mike’s Last Dance returned to the theaters almost after 8 years on 10th February. The last film in the franchise graced the theater screens in 2015. Although fans were delighted when another sequel was green-lit, the production was not without its woes. The main lead, Channing Tatum, returned and along with her Thandie Newton was supposed to star in the raunchy sequel. But she was replaced after a fight with Tatum over Will Smith and his Oscars Slapgate.

While several rumors about her exit circulated, the actress never addressed any of them. But now, a year later, director Steven Soderbergh sees it a fitting time to shut the gossip mills up for good.

Magik Mike’s director dispels rumors about Will Smith causing a fight between Thandie Newton and Channing Tatum

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In a recent interview, Steven Soderbergh stated that the rumor about the fallout between the two actors were not factually correct. Apparently, they differed in their opinion of Will Smith and his Oscars fiasco. What exactly happened between the two remains a private matter. “Nothing I ever saw was accurate, and there’s really no upside for anybody involved in litigating this or excavating it because I consider it private,” he told Rolling Stone.

He fails to see the point of bringing it up time and again when filming had wrapped up and the movie was already running in the theaters. He further emphasized keeping the matter private so as to have better control over it.

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Thandie Newton dropped out of the project after only 11 days 

The Westworld star made headlines when she dropped out of the project after merely 11 days. While the initial rumors were about two actors clashing on set, later several outlets reported vastly different stories. The Hollywood Reporter later reported that Warner Bros let the actress exit to tend to her family matters. Salma Hayek soon replaced her.

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Another alleged that she was going through a tough phase following her split with her husband, Ol Parker. She dropped out to check into rehab. Although Tatum and Newton never got along, he was delighted to have his first crush, Salma Hayek, as the replacement. The Latina made heads turn when she appeared in a see-through dress at the movie’s premiere. Even Tatum was tongue-tied at the sight of her. 

Do you think Thandie Newton would have been a better fit?

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Srabani Biswas

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Srabani Biswas is a writer at Netflix Junkie. She is a sociology graduate from Lady Brabourne College. Previously, she has contributed to Sports India Show and The Sports Room as a sports writer, and interned at Ripples Learning.

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