Warning! Spoilers ahead for Better Man.Robin Williams’ biopic, Better Man, shows a conflict between him and Liam Gallagher, and it’s curious if this is actually true. The film piqued interest after the promotions revealed that Williams would be portrayed as a CGI monkey. Although Better Man is receiving phenomenal reviews, the biopic’s box office performance is rather abysmal, raising the question as to why Better Man is struggling to find an audience despite its quality. Regardless, the movie does a superb job of showcasing the multiple relationships throughout the singer’s life, raising the question — did Williams really challenge Liam Gallagher to a fight?

Better Man shows a remarkable range of talent across the singer’s career, and the cast list is impressive. One of the principal relationships in Better Man is Nicole Appleton. Williams’ former relationship with the All Saints member is connected closely with his feud with Gallagher. One of the pivotal scenes in Better Man depicts a fight between Williams and Gallagher, highlighting their strained relationship and deep-seated conflict across the years. It seems as though Gallagher’s presence in the film serves purely to antagonize Williams, and the fight is sparked by a rather heated argument, stemming from years of unresolved hostility.

Robbie Williams Did Challenge Liam Gallagher To A Fight At An Awards Show In 2000

The Feud Came Shortly After A Brief Friendship Between Williams And Gallagher

Williams challenging Gallagher to fight came shortly after their encounter at Glastonbury where the singer was pictured in an embrace with the Oasis frontman in 1995. Following the weekend’s event, Gallagher referred to Williams as “the fat dancer from Take That,” (via Virgin Radio UK) suggesting that the pair’s friendship was purely superficial. It was clear that their relationship had deteriorated at the Brit Awards in 2000. The Take That singer goes to accept the award for British Single, but Williams uses the opportunity to dedicate his acceptance speech to Gallagher and invites him to a physical altercation.

In a rather condescending tone, Williams says, “Would anybody like to see me fight Liam? Liam, a hundred grand of your money and a hundred grand of my money. We’ll get in a ring, and we’ll have a fight, and you can all watch it on TV.” Whether Williams was joking regarding the fight is left open to debate, but it is apparent that there is some candor to the threat. Williams makes a nonchalant shrug, obviously emboldened by the audience’s applause, before he exits the stage without saying anything more.

Robbie Williams & Liam Gallagher’s Feud In Real Life Explained

Williams Appears To Be Ready To Reconcile With Gallagher

The pair had a similar altercation later at the Q Awards, where Gallagher mirrored Williams and used his own acceptance speech to dedicate his win to the singer — who had taken an early leave from the ceremony. Williams and Gallagher’s feud continued for over a decade and became one of the most famous conflicts within the music industry. From jibes to clashing gigs in Manchester 2013, there has been no shortage of ammunition to the arguments between Williams and Gallagher. Recently, Williams has admitted that part of his relocation to L.A. was due to abuse of the Gallagher brothers.

As recently as three years ago, Williams said that the Gallagher’s were “f***ing bullies,” in an interview for Apple Music. (via Yahoo News UK) Although the Oasis member has refuted these claims, their friendship appears to be on the mend. Williams set aside their previous animosity in the summer, when he congratulated Oasis after their tour 2025 announcement. Better Man offers arguably an accurate representation of Gallagher, but it is one that Williams is hopeful will resonate well. Williams remains rather positive about his outlook, saying, “I don’t want him to be upset. I hope he likes it.” (via NME)

Source: Virgin Radio UK, Yahoo News UK, NME