The film`s director Todd Phillips has confirmed Gibson was not pushed out of the comedy sequel - in which he was expected to play a Bangkok tattoo artist - to be replaced by Liam Neeson, but confirms the troubled star was only ever "doing a favour" for him.

He said: "No one was ever fired. It`s a term that`s so obscene to me.

"Someone was doing me a favour to come in for a two-minute cameo, and we changed it. It wasn`t like we fired somebody. Gibson was just doing a favour from the beginning."

One of the film`s stars, Zach Galifianakis, has previously hinted he was not happy with the idea of Gibson - who is currently undergoing a custody battle with ex-partner Oksana Grigorieva - taking a role in the film, which is currently shooting.

Although he did not mention any specifics, he said: "I`m in a deep protest right now with a movie I`m working on, up in arms about something."
sections: Celebrities