Get ready to breathe a sigh of relief, Elton John fans. Rocketman star Taron Egerton is responding to the controversy surrounding the reported removal of a queer sex scene in the film by Paramount Studios.
"It’s nonsense. There is a love scene in the film," the actor (who plays Elton in the upcoming musical biopic) said when asked about the controversy by Variety host Marc Malkin during an appearance at CinemCon. "It’s been slightly blown out of proportion how extreme it is."
He continued:
"I think it’s a really beautiful bit of male intimacy. It’s one moment in a film that I believe is full of great moments."
Back in March, the Daily Mail reported an anonymous source that claimed Paramount was pushing to cut down on a sex scene between Egerton and Richard Madden (who plays John Reid, Elton John's manager and lover) in order for the film to get a PG-13 rating.
Rocketman director Dexter Fletcher has since refuted those rumors, and Egerton himself has gone on the record before, saying he enjoyed filming the movie's love scenes.