Inside The White Lotus: Goggins & Wood Reveal Cut Sex Scene, Denounce Feud Rumors

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: WATSON GOGGINS AND AIMEE LOU WOOD GET REAL ABOUT THEIR STEAMY WHITE LOTUS SCENE, FEUD RUMORS, AND PERSONAL STRUGGLES

In a shocking and intimate joint interview with Variety's Actors on Actors series, Walton Goggins and Aimee Lou Wood dished about the cut sex scene that never made it to air in The White Lotus, dispelled rumors of a feud between them, and opened up about their personal struggles.

The steamy sequence, which was part of the show's story arc, had fans speculating about the on-screen relationship between Goggins' character Rick and Wood's Chelsea. In the deleted scene, the lovers meet at the beach, return to their bedroom for a heart-to-heart, and ultimately share a passionate moment.

"We designed the whole journey, even down to the fact that Chelsea gets on Rick in the first [love] scene," Wood explained, her voice barely above a whisper. "Then in the last episode, it was Rick picking Chelsea up. It was so delicate."

Goggins chimed in, his eyes lighting up with excitement: "It gave the sense of two people who were free, juxtaposed with the first scene, which indicated their bond." He paused for dramatic effect before adding, "It was this very long, suspended moment of these two people looking at each other. It was so powerful."

The conversation quickly turned to the rumor mill surrounding their relationship, which reached a fever pitch after they unfollowed each other on Instagram. Wood addressed the outrage head-on: "I think it's such a comment on where we're at culturally," she said with a hint of sarcasm. "Why is everyone obsessing over Instagram? That is irrelevant."

Goggins jumped in, his voice laced with emotion: "There is no feud. I adore, I love this woman madly, and she is so important to me." The 53-year-old actor went on to confess that he has struggled with goodbyes throughout his career, citing his Justified costar Tim Olyphant as an example.

"I hugged him and told him, 'I love you, and I hope I see you in rooms for the rest of my life.' I didn't talk to him for almost two years. I've done that with every single thing that I've done," Goggins revealed.

When asked if he would have unfollowed Olyphant or his The Shield co-star Michael Chiklis on Instagram, Goggins quipped: "You know what? I'll follow you right now!" Wood giggled in response before giving him a hug and reassuring everyone that there was no feud between them.

As the conversation continued, Goggins opened up about the emotional toll of playing Rick, a character he described as a "cathartic" experience. The actor revealed that he had been struggling to come to terms with the show's finale, which saw his character die alongside Chelsea.

Following the death of his first wife Leanne Goggins, who died by suicide in 2004, Walton found solace in traveling and eventually made his way to Thailand, where The White Lotus was filmed. He credits the experience with helping him process his grief and said: "I needed to just back away from everyone... I couldn’t handle it."

In a touching moment of vulnerability, Goggins turned to Wood and expressed his gratitude for her support during this difficult time: "And she was extremely supportive about that. She knew what we had gone through, and she let me know that it was okay to take my time."

As the interview drew to a close, Goggins playfully addressed Mike White, creator of The White Lotus, with a cheeky message: "F* you, Mike! We want a director's cut!" Wood chuckled in response before asking the interviewer if they wanted to talk about astrology.

In the end, it was clear that the on-screen chemistry between Goggins and Wood extended far beyond their characters' relationship. As they wrapped up their conversation, Walton turned to Aimee with tears in his eyes and whispered: "I love you."