Thandiwe Newton has issued a statement following her exit from Magic Mike 3. The sequel had been filming for 11 days when the actor left the role, with Salma Hayek replacing her in an undisclosed role.
A report from British tabloid The Sun claims Newton was removed from the movie after an argument with co-star Channing Tatum over Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars. Newton has denied the allegations.
"This report is completely inaccurate," a spokesperson for Newton told the MailOnline. Another statement from a Warner Bros. spokesperson, via The Hollywood Reporter, gives more details: "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."
Magic Mike's Last Dance sees Tatum return as Mike Lane, the role he played in Magic Mike and Magic Mike XXL. The character is inspired by Tatum's real-life experiences formerly working as a stripper. Steven Soderbergh returns to direct – he helmed the first movie, while the sequel was directed by Gregory Jacobs.
Newton can currently be seen in All the Old Knives opposite Chris Pine, which is streaming on Prime Video. She'll also be appearing in Westworld season 4 and has a voice role in the upcoming Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget.
Hayek, meanwhile, recently appeared in Marvel's Eternals and Ridley Scott's House of Gucci. Alongside Magic Mike 3, she has a role coming up in Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.
Magic Mike's Last Dance will stream exclusively on HBO Max, though there's no release date just yet. While we wait, check out our roundup of the best Netflix movies streaming now to fill out your watchlist.
