Thandieve Newton has been forced to refute rumors that she had left the shooting of a new Hollywood blockbuster after a "vicious" brawl with her co-star, Channing Tatum.
The production of Magic Mike's Last Dance, the third film in the franchise, was thrown into chaos after the Line of Duty actress left theatrically in the middle of the project.
A spokesman claimed the 49-year-old stepped in to "deal with family matters".
But it is reported that her situation became "unsettled" after her tussle with co-star Channing Tatum, 41, on set in Paddington, west London.
It was claimed that he had an "unimaginably vicious" argument over Will Smith's behavior at the Oscars when he slapped comedian Chris Rock on stage.
An unknown crew member said: "They crashed out of the debacle at the Oscars. I was on set... It was a tense exchange of words, but suddenly it escalated - Channing got into this car and he disappeared."
A representative for Miss Newton strongly denied the reports, calling them "completely false", while a source close to the production claimed that Tatum – who is also the film's producer – supported the actress' decision to leave. Was.
She will be replaced by Frida actress Salma Hayek, 55, and will have to reshoot scenes starring Miss Newton.
The move could cost the production company tens of thousands of pounds.
Crew members told The Sun that they had already lost over £4,000 due to delays in filming.
A Warner Bros. spokesperson said: "Thandiway Newton has made the difficult decision to produce Magic Mike's Last Dance for Warner Bros. Pictures to deal with family matters."
No further details given. The previous Magic Mike films, which are based on Tatum's experiences as a teen stripper in Florida, have both enjoyed commercial success, grossing approximately $397 million at the box office.
It inspired a popular spin-off stage show, which has been shown in London, Berlin and Las Vegas.
The third and latest film is set to premiere exclusively on HBO Max but a release date has not been announced.