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This Controversial Jennifer Aniston Scene Was Cut From ‘Horrible Bosses 2’

Home / News / This Controversial Jennifer Aniston Scene Was Cut From ‘Horrible Bosses 2’

By Favour Adegoke on October 27, 2021 at 9:45 AM PDT

Everyone loves when their favorite film gets a sequel that stars all the actors from the original, and "Horrible Bosses 2" was exactly that. The first movie was a blockbuster that drew millions of viewers and earned over two hundred million dollars at the box office.

It also starred top actors such as Jennifer Aniston, Jason Sudeikis, Jason Bateman, Kevin Spacey, and Charlie Day.

"Horrible Bosses 2" continued the plot from where the first story ended, with the main characters hatching a kidnapping plot to get revenge on an investor who scammed them and left them in debt. It was released in 2014 and earned over a hundred million dollars at the box office.

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The movie was praised for its well-acted scenes, but fans of the film don't know that one particular scene got cut because it was too offensive and too controversial.

So what scene was this, and why was it so offensive? Read on to find out all we know about the scene and the movies.

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What Was This Controversial And Offensive Scene?

Aniston appeared on Conan O'Brien's talk show to promote "Horrible Bosses 2" in 2014 and revealed what the cut scene was and why it was cut.

She explained that the issue with the scene was that her character (Dr. Julie Harris) was portrayed having sexual activities with Dale (Day's character) while he was unconscious. This, coupled with his previous lack of consent to her character's advances, made the scene too controversial, and producers had to cut it.

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As viewers might remember, Dale was shot towards the end of the film and ended up in a coma for some days. When he woke, he found out that he, and Nick (played by Batman), and Kurt (played by Sudeikis), had narrowly escaped jail for the second time.

He also learned that Dr. Harris was around the hospital while he was unconscious and was horrified when she eventually admitted that she took advantage of him while he was in the coma.

From Aniston's explanation of the scene and O'Brien's reaction, it's a good thing the producers considered the provocative nature of the scene and cut it, as it would have been difficult for fans to digest a scene depicting non-consensual sexual activities.

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Aniston On How She Felt About The Scene

When asked more about the scene in her Conan interview, an embarrassed and red-faced Aniston shared her feelings when she filmed the scene and afterward.

She explained how she normally films intimate scenes and said that her scene in "Horrible Bosses 2" was different because Day was "laying there in a coma."

The award-winning actress stuttered while explaining, and said, "It was kind of not mutual. Because it was a…, well Charlie Day's character is in a coma, and I exploit him while he's in a coma. Terrifying thing to shoot, by the way, because normally you have a partner with you to be like, "God this is hard," and like, "Yeah, this is weird, and this wasn't there."

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When O'Brien asked if it was impossible the producers would cut an intimate scene with her in it, she replied that it was very possible because of how weird and wrong the whole thing was.

An Overview Of 'Horrible Bosses 2'

The plot of "Horrible Bosses 2" picked up where the first film left off, with Nick, Dale, and Kurt jobless and getting into more trouble. The trio decided to go into business and come up with a product called "Shower buddy."

After they demonstrated a prototype and launched their business in a messed-up interview on a talk show, they were approached by Bert Hanson and his son, Rex.

Bert initially invested in their business and then canceled his investment after discovering that the trio had taken on huge debts to fund his order.

Now, heavy in debt and with no positive legal option, they decided to kidnap Rex and use the ransom paid by his father to settle their debts. Of course, like most other things they did in the first movie, their plans went completely wrong.

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How 'Horrible Bosses 2' Was Received By Viewers And Critics

With how well received the first movie was, "Horrible Bosses 2" was well anticipated, but the positive welcome died out soon after its release. According to many viewers and film critics, the movie was a far cry from the quality and humor that its predecessor offered.

A scathing review by Claudia Puig of USA Today said, "Bateman's comic timing and slow burn have slackened into blandly dull reactions, while his partners in crime seem to have grown markedly less intelligent. This sequel is misogynistic and occasionally racist. Edgy, inappropriate humor has its appeal, but "Horrible Bosses 2" is merely offensive, without the barest minimum of wit."

Bateman himself told E! Online that "Horrible Bosses 2" was a piece of garbage that was simply a "paycheck for everyone." However, he did share that he and the crew did not intend to make a bad film.

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