Vin Diesel is finally addressing his reported beef with his “The Fate Of The Furious” co-star Dwayne Johnson.
Last summer, Johnson called out Diesel, the film’s producer and star over his alleged on-set behaviour which had the franchise’s crew taking sides.
Now, as the film prepares to hit theatres on April 14, Diesel is speaking out about the friction between the stars with USA Today, downplaying the alleged beef between them.
“I don’t think the world really realizes how close we are, in a weird way,” Diesel says of his relationship with The Rock. “I think some things may be blown out of proportion. I don’t think that was his intention. I know he appreciates how much I work [for] this franchise. In my house, he’s Uncle Dwayne.”
In August, TMZ reported that sources on the production claimed that Johnson wasn’t the only one who has taken issue with Diesel’s on-set behaviour, which included showing up nearly an hour late to shoot scenes because he didn’t want to leave his trailer. The source claimed Diesel reportedly hated the shoot’s 7 a.m. call times so much, he pushed them back to 10 a.m. to accommodate his own preference.
Production sources alleged that the crew sees Diesel as an arrogant and out-of-control tyrant on set, goading his fellow cast members — including Johnson — by criticizing their acting.
The pair had reportedly been butting heads for some time, but it all boiled over when Johnson made his beef public by posting on social media in August. Meanwhile, “The Fate Of The Furious” crew had nothing but praise for Johnson, calling him an ultimate professional who is always on time, easy to work with, and nails his scenes every time.
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Diesel, who has been involved with the “Fast And Furious” franchise since the original debuted in 2001, says his involvement as the film’s producer means he keeps an eye out for both Johnson and the franchise’s best interests.
“I protect the franchise. I protect everybody, including Dwayne,” he explains. “I protected Dwayne more than he’ll ever know. And it doesn’t matter. He doesn’t have to know. But he appreciates it. Dwayne has only got one Vin in his life. Dwayne Johnson only has one big brother in this film world and that’s me.”
“I’m always rooting for Dwayne,” he continues. “I’m the first multicultural megastar in Hollywood. They didn’t exist. To see another multicultural star come up is something I am very proud of.”
