Verity in the original Bond script

Author Raymond Benson, who has the job of adapting James Bond movies into novels (the “novelizations”), revealed
in an interview to Commanderbond.net something about the part of the female fence instructor in the original film script of Die Another Day and how it was changed when the Queen of Pop got the role. Here’s an excerpt about Verity from this interview:

Q: In your novelization, Verity is clearly a lesbian and clearly not Madonna. Why is this?

A: That scene went through many versions, probably more than any other scene. In the original script she was clearly a lesbian but all that was cut when Madonna took the role. I thought all the references in the book were cut too but maybe some remained, or perhaps those changes came after the book was already at the publishers. I can’t remember.

Bond producers Wilson and Broccoli were” thrilled Madonna has agreed to make a cameo appearance in Die Another Day”, explaining in a official press release that “her dynamic personality and onscreen presence will compliment the incredible title song she wrote and performs and which plays an integral part in the film”.