Entertainment

Olivia Wilde Slams Airline For Cutting Lesbian Scene From Her Movie ‘Booksmart’

(Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images for Save The Children)

Katie Jerkovich Entertainment Reporter
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Olivia Wilde slammed several airlines for cutting a lesbian make out scene from the movie she directed, “Booksmart,” and wondered about the “censorship” decisions on airlines.

It all started when a fan shared on social media that the lesbian kiss between actress Kaitlyn Dever and Diana Silvers had reportedly been edited out of the film version the person saw on her flight, per People magazine in a piece published Tuesday. (RELATED: Jennifer Lawrence Threw Up During Olivia Wilde’s Broadway Performance)

“This is truly a bummer,” the 35-year-old actress, who made her directorial debut with the film, tweeted to one fan. “There is no nudity in this scene. What makes it too obscene for airplane viewing? What airline?”

The comment came in response to a fan who wrote, “Tried watching Booksmart on the plane and they cut the ENTIRE lesbian hookup scene like not even a KISS was allowed! oh but don’t worry guys, the Straights got their kiss.” (RELATED: Olivia Wilde Says Donald Trump Is ‘Really Sickening’)

The person later confirmed she had been on Etihad and said she had heard it was reportedly cut out of other airlines, specifically Delta and Emirates.

Later, the “Cowboys and Aliens” star discussed the matter on the red carpet at the 11th Annual Governors Awards and wondered what kind of “censorship” was governing the various airlines decisions.

“I don’t understand it,” Wilde told Variety. “There’s censorship, airline to airline, of films, which there must be some kind of governing board to determine. We rate it a certain way. If it’s not X-rated, surely it’s acceptable on an airplane.”

“There’s insane violence of bodies being smashed in half and yet a love scene between two women is censored from the film,” she added. “It’s such an integral part of this character’s journey. I don’t understand it. My heart just broke. I’m trying to get to the bottom of it; I want people to experience the entire film.’

Representatives from Emirates told Fox News “it was looking into the reports.” Etihad did not respond immediately to a request for comment.

Delta shared in a statement to The Daily Caller that, “Delta’s content parameters do not in any way ask for the removal of homosexual content from the film. We value diversity and inclusion as core to our culture and our mission and will review our processes to ensure edited video content doesn’t conflict with these values.”

According to a report in the Hill:

Gulf carriers like Qatar Airways, Emirates and Etihad Airways are consistently hostile towards the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

The LGBT community is barred from employment of any kind at these three companies. They are state-owned airlines headquartered in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, countries that lack any protection for the LGBT community, where intimate relationships are criminalized, and where abuses against the community are well documented.

Update: This story has been updated to include Delta’s statement to The Daily Caller.