Terrence Howard blames Robert Downey Jr. for Iron Man 2 firing, taking his money

We all know that Terrence Howard‘s separation from the IRON MAN universe did not go smoothly. Talks of money issues and the actor’s temperamental behavior have been bandied about in the years since the role of James Rhodes was taken from him and given to Don Cheadle. But what’s the real story, at least according to Mr. Howard? Well, turns out his former pal Robert Downey Jr. stabbed him in the back, took his money and left him twisting in the wind.

This revelation (whether or not it counts as one is left up to you to decide) was made on Bravo’s “Watch What Happens Live” last night, while Howard and Nia Long were promoting THE BEST MAN HOLIDAY. An interested fan wondered why he hadn’t been in more IRON MAN films (she likes him in a suit) and Howard’s responded thusly:

It turns out that the person that I helped become Iron Man, when it was time to re-up for the second one, took the money that was supposed to go to me and pushed me out… We did a three-picture deal. That means you did the deal ahead of time — a certain amount for the first one, a certain amount for the second, a certain amount for the third. They came to me with the second and said ‘look, we will pay you one-eighth of what we contractually had for you, because we think the second one will be successful with or without you.’ And I called my friend, that I helped get the first job, and he didn’t call me back for three months.”

When the show’s host Andy Cohen asks Howard how things are between he and RDJ now, Howard responds, with a rather sinister expression on his face,

Oh I love him. God’s gonna bless him.”

Maybe it’s just me, but Howard appears to be slightly bitter. And potentially murderous.