The Rock and Vin Diesel’s feud: 15 secrets you never knew

Vin Diesel and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson are both Hollywood tough guys, macho actors with muscle and swagger…

Vin Diesel and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson are both Hollywood tough guys, macho actors with muscle and swagger.

They have worked together on a number of Fast and Furious films, with Diesel playing ex-con Dom Toretto and Johnson playing an agent.

By the time the two made 2017’s The Fate of the Furious, rumors of feuds and disagreements leaked out.

Apparently, the two men couldn’t stand one another. So what was that all about?

It’s complicated. And nobody involved has come out and said exactly what the issues were.

But we can (and will) take some pretty good guesses. It got so bad that The Rock took to rants on Instagram and said he doubted he would ever work with Diesel again.

That’s pretty strong stuff. So what went on that caused such a war? Well, read on.

Here are 15 forgotten (or never known about) facts about the monumental feud between Vin Diesel and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

15.It’s Called “The Candy A**” Feud

What a strange name for a feud between two tough guys! But the name came from a Dwayne Johnson Instagram post.

It goes without saying that there is much bad blood between Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Vin Diesel.

14.The Whole Thing Started On The Set Of The Fate Of The Furious

Notice where the two guys are standing relative to one another. It’s 2016 and the feud between Diesel and Johnson is simmering, about to boil over.

During the last week of shooting on The Fate of the Furious. it’s obvious that Johnson and Diesel have a mutual loathing society going on.

Nobody quite knows why. And none of the principals involved in the feud has ever come out and said exactly what happened. So, let’s have look at what went on.

13.The Rock Annoyed With Diesel Exploiting Dead Paul Walker

First things first. Actor Paul Walker died in a fiery car crash in November of 2013. He was in the middle of filming Furious 7 in Atlanta.

Since his death Diesel has claimed they were like brothers and has paid tribute to Walker again and again.

Only thing is, Walker’s friends diss Diesel, saying Paul didn’t like him. Diesel’s exploiting Walker’s memory annoys The Rock no end.

12.Round One: The Rock’s Instagram Post

Now, everybody who knows anything about The Rock knows that he really isn’t into ranting and raving. He’s the poster child for positive thinking.

So in August of 2016 when he posted a fast and furious Instagram post about The Fate of the Furious the world took notice.

He praised his female co-stars but said “certain” of his male co-stars were “candy a**”, “chicken s**t”, and unprofessional. Yes, but which one?

11.Diesel Was Co-Producer Of Fate Of The Furious – Control

It soon became clear that Johnson’s rant was aimed four square at none other than Vin Diesel. The cause? Well, it’s complicated, to say the least.

But part of the problem was that Diesel was not only acting in the franchise films, but he also co-produced many of them as well.

That meant he had decision-making power over what did and didn’t happen. Some said he threw his weight around, criticizing actors. And that didn’t sit well with The Rock.

10.In Fate Of The Furious, They Filmed No Scenes Together

In Hollywood, if you have two actors that don’t get on, well, the rule book says you keep them apart.

And that’s just what happened in The Fate of the Furious. 

The Diesel and Johnson might have appeared in some of the same scenes, but each actor shot his part at a different time from the other one.

But the tension was still there, smoldering under the surface.

9.After The Film Wrapped, The Rock Spoke Of “Ill Will”

The Rock was on a roll of negativity over Vin Diesel. After the filming of The Fate of the Furious was completed, he was interviewed by Rolling Stone. 

He spoke of his “ill will” against Diesel and how he doubted he would return to the Fast and Furiousfranchise.

He said: “What I came to realize is that we have a fundamental difference in philosophies on how we approach movie-making and collaborating.” Sorry Rock, that’s still pretty vague.

8.Diesel: Hey, It’s All Just Two Alpha Males Butting Heads

Vin Diesel took to telling everybody that the feud had been blown out of all proportion and that it was simply two “alpha males” butting heads.

He referred to “Uncle Dwayne”. That’s all well and good, but with good old Uncle Dwayne calling him a candy a** and saying he bears him ill will, it looks like a full-blown nuclear war of a feud to us.

7.Come The Press Tour And They Never Meet Up

When a film comes out, the cast takes to the road for a press tour. It’s standard practice.

Usually, this involves the whole cast, or most of them, sitting or standing on a stages together answering stupid questions and saying what a great film it is.

Only thing was, where Diesel was Johnson wasn’t. They did separate but equal press tours. Whatever you do, keep them apart was the motto.

6.Point Of Conflict One: Professionalism Versus Lack Of It

Let’s look at an example of Vin Diesel’s unprofessionalism: During the filming of Furious 7, Diesel spent hours in his trailer, thereby holding up production.

As a “producer” he demanded various perks and provided himself with a leisurely work schedule. 7 a.m. meetings were pushed back to 10 a.m. to accommodate Diesel.

When The Rock called him unprofessional, he meant it in spades. The Rock is known for his work ethic.

5.Point Of Conflict Two: PR Hard Work Versus Half-Hearted

Another case in point: Diesel’s promotion efforts for the 2009 film Fast & Furious were so half-hearted and ineffectual that his own publicity team reportedly dumped him.

He was hard to reach, claimed to be sick, and when he did show up for a few hours his performance was lackluster and, well, boring.

The team’s response? They dropped him as a client. The Rock always gives 150%. Diesel must have got right up his nose.

4.Point Of Conflict Three: The Rock Really A Nice Guy. And Diesel?

Says one of Johnson’s co-stars: “He’s like this huge ball of charisma and muscle and teeth just flying at you.”

And he’s happy, happy, happy. He says what’s not to be happy about? He loves working. He loves working out.

And Diesel? In the feud between Diesel and Johnson, the crews of the Fast and Furious films point to Diesel’s laziness, his tendency to throw his producer’s weight around, and his inability to show up on time. Go, Rock go, they say.

3.Point Of Conflict Four: Both Project Family Guy Image… But

The Rock is into clean living and family. And that, as far as anybody can tell, is 100% genuine. Diesel? Well, he has a rep as a party-all-night animal.

Reportedly, for one of his films his head had to be superimposed on his stunt double as he was so out of shape.

And he’s cheated on his partner and mother of his children Paloma Jiminez at least once, as the picture makes abundantly clear.

2.Point Of Conflict Five: The Battle Of The Bank Accounts

It must have galled Vin Diesel plenty. At the time The Fate of the Furious The Rock was the highest-paid actor in Hollywood.

It was just another source of tension between the two. Sure, Diesel has a net worth of $200 million, but the The Rock beats that too, with a net worth of $320 million.

And another irritation for Diesel is that the studios have announced a second Hobbs and Shaw film, the Fast and Furious spin-off with Johnson and Jason Statham.

1.They Don’t Like One Another, But Achieved Clarity

Vin Diesel And Dwayne Johnson agree on one thing and one thing only: They don’t like one another.

It’s a combination of jealousy, outrage, and the two men embracing sets of priorities that are worlds apart.

Will they ever work together again? Probably not. But they have, as Johnson said, achieved “clarity”. They hate one another big time.