Thandiwe Newton DENIES she was 'axed from Magic Mike 3 due to bust-up with Channing Tatum over Oscars slap'- as actress exits project due to 'family matters' and is replaced by Salma Hayek

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Thandiwe Newton has denied claims she was sacked from her leading role in the new Magic Mike 3 film over a heated argument with co-star Channing Tatum.  

The actress, 49, has exited Magic Mike's Last Dance after 11 days of filming with Channing, 41, due to a 'family matter' and she will reportedly be replaced in the role by Salma Hayek, 55, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The Sun reports the alleged argument between the actors, which was said to be 'unimaginably vicious', was over Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars. 

Exit: Thandiwe Newton has denied claims she was sacked from her leading role in the new Magic Mike film over a heated argument with co-star Channing Tatum (pictured filming Magic Mike in March)

A Warner Bros. Pictures spokesperson said: '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.' 

The statement comes after insiders told The Sun that Thandiwe is planning on suing studio chiefs at Warner Bros over the incident.

The argument reportedly took place on location in Paddington, London and culminated with Channing driving off set in his car.

A source said: '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.

Project: The actress, 49, has exited the project after 11 days of filming with Channing, 41, due to a 'family matter' (Channing pictured centre in Magic Mike, 2012)

Recast: Thandiwe's role in the film will now reportedly be played by Salma Hayek (pictured in February) 

'They fell out over the debacle at The Oscars. 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.

'After the row he just went, 'I am not working with her anymore'. Him being a producer, it's his movie, so she's off the movie.'  

The source added that all scenes filmed with Thandiwe will now have to be reshot with Salma while the film's director Steven Soderbergh reportedly didn't take a side in the argument.  

A spokesperson for Thandiwe told MailOnline: 'This report is completely inaccurate.' 

Claims: The alleged argument between the actors, which was said to be 'unimaginably vicious', was over Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars

The actress was previously credited as Thandie Newton before she reverted to the original spelling of her name three decades after it was misspelled in her first film.

She revealed that Thandie was a careless misspelling in the credits of her first movie – the 1991 Australian film Flirting, co-starring Nicole Kidman and Noah Taylor – and it has stuck ever since. 

‘That’s my name. It’s always been my name. I’m taking back what’s mine,' she told British Vogue in April 2021. 

The original Magic Mike movie premiered in 2012 and was loosely based on Channing's experience working as a stripper in Tampa, Florida.

The flick starred Channing, Alex Pettyfer, Matt Bomer, Joe Manganiello, and Matthew McConaughey, and revolved around Adam, a 19-year-old who was suddenly immersed in the world of male stripping.

A source said: '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' (pictured in 2019)

Magic Mike's sequel, by the title of Magic Mike XXL, was directed by Gregory Jacobs, and released in 2015.

Channing confirmed that he would reprise his role for Magic Mike's Last Dance in November on 2021.

In a recent interview with PEOPLE he expressed that he wants the film to be like 'the Super Bowl of stripping.'

'I want dancing like we've never been able to do in the other two movies, because we had to be honest to what the reality of that world is, which isn't great dancing.'

He also spoke about the importance on the movie having a lead female character.

'I want to have an equal, if not even more centralized female character for Mike to really play off of and almost to... I don't want to say, [to have her] take the baton, but really let the movie be about a female's experience and not Mike's experience, because it has been so much about Mike and the guys' experiences.

'These movies are very, very female-forward. At least that is our intention.'

The film is set to premiere exclusively on HBO Max. The release date has yet to be announced.

Franchise: Channing confirmed that he would reprise his role for Magic Mike's Last Dance in November on 2021