#CandyAssGate continues. The feud between Fast Five stars Vin Diesel and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is akin to a professional wrestling storyline, with both blockbuster action superstars making snide comments whenever they get a mic in their hand. It is nice to see the Rock cut a promo again, though.
Last month, just ahead of the release of F9: The Fast Saga, Diesel took a pot shot at Johnson, saying that he was responsible for the former pro wrestler’s performance in Fast Five. “Hobbs hits you like a ton of bricks,” Diesel said in a Men’s Health profile released in June. “That’s something that I’m proud of, that aesthetic. That took a lot of work. We had to get there and sometimes, at that time, I could give a lot of tough love. Not Felliniesque, but I would do anything I’d have to do in order to get performances in anything I’m producing.”
Well, Johnson decided that with Jungle Cruise on the horizon, it was time to lay the smackdown, as he is wont to do. Johnson said he laughed off the claim that “tough love” brought Hobbs together. “I laughed and I laughed hard,” said Johnson to The Hollywood Reporter. “I think everyone had a laugh at that. And I’ll leave it at that. And that I’ve wished them well. I wish them well on Fast 9. And I wish them the best of luck on Fast 10 and Fast 11 and the rest of the Fast & Furious movies they do that will be without me.”
Emily Blunt, Johnson’s Jungle Cruise co-star—and again, it should be noted that Johnson is mocking Diesel while promoting the Jungle Cruise adaptation—also got in the Diesel damning fun. “Just thank God he was there,” Blunt said. “Thank God. He carried you through that.” And, as if to put a final, insulting pin in the matter, Johnson evoked Diesel’s own words calling the Fast Five star “Felliniesque.”
Harsh words from a harsh man. Still, we hope they can squash the feud soon because we “Fast Friends,” as we now call ourselves, would love to have Hobbs back in the fold. In the meantime, we can hold the words of Dominic Toretto close to our hearts: “The most important thing in life will always be family.”