The truth behind the fight between Dwayne Johnson and Vin Diesel: from close friends to filming their Fast and Furious scenes separately

In 2011, Dwayne Johnson joined the franchise with his character Luke Hobbs in Fast Five (The Grosby Group)

The Fast and the Furious saga has been one of the most successful and beloved franchises by audiences worldwide. Since its debut in 2001, the films have captivated millions of viewers with their thrilling action scenes, high-speed cars and a cast of charismatic characters. However, behind the scenes, the relationship between two of its biggest stars, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Vin Diesel, has not been as smooth as the car chases they star in. This is the story of how an apparent friendship transformed into one of the most talked-about rivalries in Hollywood.

Vin Diesel, who plays the iconic Dominic Toretto, has been a mainstay of the franchise since its inception. With his strong character and unwavering loyalty to his “family,” he became the face of Fast and Furious. In 2011, with the fifth installment of the saga, Fast Five, a new character was introduced who quickly captured the attention of fans: Luke Hobbs, played by Dwayne Johnson. The imposing lawman, with his tough personality and sense of duty, was the perfect complement to the rebellious Toretto. The chemistry between the two characters promised a lot, but what happened behind the scenes was a completely different story.

The conflict between Johnson and Diesel began to become public in August 2016, during the filming of The Fate of the Furious, the eighth installment of the saga. It all started with an explosive Instagram post by Johnson, where, without mentioning names, he criticized some of his male co-stars, calling them “cowards” and unprofessional. “My female co-stars are always amazing and I love them. My male co-stars, however, are a different story. Some behave like real, professional men, while others do not,” Johnson wrote.

In 2016, Johnson indirectly criticized Vin Diesel for unprofessional behavior in an Instagram post.

This post sparked a flurry of speculation, and while Johnson never directly mentioned Diesel, most of the rumors pointed to him. Tension between the two was said to have been “building for months” due to differences in work ethic and punctuality on film sets.

Following Johnson’s controversial post, Diesel attempted to downplay the situation in an interview with USA Today in April 2017. “I don’t think the world really realizes how close we are, in a weird way,” Diesel said. However, his statements, rather than calming the waters, seemed to emphasize a power dynamic where he saw himself as a sort of mentor to Johnson. “I protect the franchise. I protect everybody, including Dwayne. I protected him more than he will ever know,” Diesel said.

These words did not go down well with Johnson, who would later respond with his own version of the story. In an interview with Vanity Fair in October 2021, Johnson refuted the idea that Diesel was some sort of “big brother” to him, stating that he only has one older brother and it wasn’t Diesel.

During the filming of “The Fate of the Furious”, Johnson and Diesel agreed to film their scenes separately.

One of the most notable consequences of this conflict was that, during the filming of The Fate of the Furious, Johnson and Diesel did not share any scenes together. This decision was not taken lightly, and both actors reportedly came to an agreement that it would be better to film their scenes separately to avoid further tensions. Johnson, in an interview with Rolling Stone in 2018, explained that this decision was best for everyone. “We have a fundamental difference in philosophies of how we approach filmmaking and collaboration,” Johnson said.

Despite the tensions, in November 2021, Diesel publicly attempted to reconcile with Johnson through an emotional Instagram post, inviting him to return for the tenth installment of the franchise. “My little brother Dwayne… the time has come. The world awaits the end of Fast 10. As you know, my kids refer to you as Uncle Dwayne in my house. Not a holiday goes by without you two sending each other well wishes…” Diesel wrote.

However, Johnson did not take this public invitation well. In December 2021, in an interview with CNN, Johnson described Diesel’s post as an example of “manipulation.” “I didn’t like that he mentioned his children in the post, nor that he mentioned Paul Walker’s death. Leave them out of this,” Johnson said firmly.

In November 2021, Diesel invited Johnson back in an emotional Instagram post (PHOTO: Instagram/@vindiesel)

After years of tensions and refusals to return to the franchise, in May 2023, fans received an unexpected surprise: Johnson made a cameo in Fast X, leading many to believe that the differences between the two actors had finally been resolved. It was reportedly director Louis Leterrier who facilitated this “truce” between the two stars. In June 2023, Johnson confirmed his official return to the franchise and announced a spin-off of his character Luke Hobbs, putting an end, at least publicly, to his long-standing feud with Diesel.