Elton John and Taron Egerton are reacting over reports that Russia cut gay sex scenes from the new biopic Rocketman.

The Guardian reported: “An estimated five minutes of footage have been cut from the film in an attempt to play down the sexuality of one of the world’s most famous gay celebrities for a conservative Russian audience. The cuts were first reported by Russian journalists after the film’s 30 May release in Moscow. Anton Dolin, a popular Russian film critic, wrote on Facebook that ‘all scenes with kissing, sex and oral sex between men have been cut out… The nastiest part is that the final caption has been removed from the finale.'”

Said Elton: “We reject in the strongest possible terms the decision to pander to local laws and censor ‘Rocketman’ for the Russian market. That the local distributor has edited out certain scenes, denying the audience the opportunity to see the film as it was intended, is a sad reflection of the divided world we still live in and how it can still be so cruelly unaccepting of the love between two people.”

Said Egerton: “I am crestfallen that the decision was made to censor our movie for the Russian market. I am even more disappointed to hear about it second hand today on the day of our domestic release. I, in no way, condone this decision and feel disappointed I wasn’t made aware and given the chance to fight this move. Love is love. No compromises.”