Denzel Washington, the master of on-screen intensity and charm, typically steers clear of love scenes, to please his core audience. However, there was a time when he broke his own rule, leading to chaos. This decision led to rumors suggesting a romantic involvement between him and his co-star Sanaa Lathan from the movie Out of Time.
In a magazine interview, the actress elaborated on how those rumors impacted her.
Sanaa Lathan Had Denzel Washington’s Baby?!
Regardless of how absurd it may seem, in 2003, Denzel Washington and his co-star Sanaa Lathan faced rumors of an affair due to an intimate scene they shared on screen in a film.
Denzel Washington, who was then married to his long-time wife Pauletta Washington, promptly denied such claims, as did Sanaa Lathan. However, that didn’t prevent the rumors from flying, all thanks to that one scene in the movie Out of Time.
In an interview with Vibe magazine in 2006 quoted by Fox News, she said,
“(The rumor) got started because the movie had a love scene with Denzel, and people took that and translated it to real life,–They said I was pregnant with Denzel’s child, and people were calling my mother, saying I’m having his baby. It’s frustrating. People are going to talk no matter what.”
It is genuinely frustrating to witness the level of harassment actors endure for their work. However, Lathan realized that the talks were going to happen no matter what, and thus, she didn’t let herself get deterred by them.
Why Did Denzel Washington Stop Doing Love Scenes?
Throughout his career, Denzel Washington has been known for taking risks and experimenting with his craft. However, there is one area where he opts for caution and carefully chooses his roles and that is while doing intimate scenes in movies, particularly those involving interracial relationships. He explained to Newsweek,
“Black women are not often seen as objects of desire on film. They have always been my core audience.”
Similar to the story stated above, the consequences of him performing as little as a kissing scene on screen have been severe and haven’t been received positively by his core audience of predominantly black women in many cases. Therefore, to cater to his primary audience, the actor opts out of such situations and prefers skipping them altogether.
Out of Time is currently streaming on Max.
