Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Vin Diesel are reportedly friends. Fans will be glad to hear that the Fast and Furious co-stars were never feuding. It has been reported for months that the stars were feuding and causing friction on the set of the franchise. The alleged feud took center stage last year when The Rock took to Instagram to express his appreciation for his female co-stars and hinted that some of his male co-stars were unprofessional.
Johnson went as far as to call them “candy a**es.” It’s alleged that he was referring to Diesel, according to CBS News. At the film’s world premiere on Saturday night (April 8) in New York, the alleged situation continued. Johnson and Diesel were not seen together on the red carpet or during promotional appearances. Johnson walked the red carpet that night while Diesel arrived later.
Michelle Rodriguez, who plays Letty in the franchise, addressed stars’ feud. She said that it’s more of a family quarrel than anything.
“If you know a family that never fights, then I think… you just met a Stepford family,” she said. “That family is bulls**t. It’s not real.”
Kurt Russell, who returns as Mr. Nobody, didn’t notice a feud between the two. He also stated that it wouldn’t be surprising as conflicts often happen on movie sets in general.
“I didn’t see that, and I was there a lot. I would tell you. If there was, I would tell you, ‘Yeah, they got into it pretty good,'” Russell admitted. “I’ll tell you what I can tell you: All movies are the same. Sometimes they are not an easy ride.”
Director F. Gary Gray said that Johnson and Diesel’s alleged feud has been blown way out of proportion. But he didn’t deny that the actors were feuding. When he was asked if the two stars got along at all, he said “ask them” and walked away.
“When you’re striving for perfection, the process isn’t always perfect, but we are all proud of what ended up on the screen,” Gray said.
As reported by the Hollywood Reporter, the Fast and Furious co-stars are being kept apart as part of the promotional tour for the eighth installment of the movie. They are also being kept apart by the Fast and Furious franchise producers, Universal Studios. Diesel and Johnson will appear separately for most of the F&F movie’s press tour.
Universal has since downplayed the rumors, saying the actors have been on separate continents throughout most of the tour. But sources say the scheduling could have been easily worked out.
“What happened is over, and no one expects there to be any lingerie effects. When it comes time to promote the movie, this will have no bearing,” an insider said at the time of Johnson’s Instagram post.
The Rock made his debut in Fast and Furious back in 2011. He has since become a lead in the series and has become of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood. Johnson and Diesel’s alleged feud started last year after Diesel arrived late for a shooting of his character’s final scene with The Rock.
Diesel is a big part of the franchise, but Johnson is the bigger star. He solidified his status as one of Hollywood’s biggest box-office draws when it comes to starring in comedies or action movies. Diesel has since addressed their alleged feud and insists it doesn’t exist.
“I don’t think the world really realizes how close we are, in a weird way,” Diesel told USA Today. “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 this franchise. In my house, he’s Uncle Dwayne.”
In an interview with Entertainment Tonight at the movie’s Saturday night premiere in New York City, Johnson addressed their feud and chalked it up to work differences, saying that “in life, you have different philosophies and people have different fundamental philosophies on how you do things.”
But he wanted to put the emphasis back on the success of the franchise.
“And again, the most important is just the movie,” he said. “So I’m happy that we’re here in New York City, I’m happy the fans love it.”
Additional press or a celebrity feud is the last thing the franchise needs since it’s been doing so well. Fast and Furious 8 is expected to rake in over $110 million when it hits theaters on April 14.
[Featured Images by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images]