Did Vin Diesel Reignite Old Beef With ‘The Rock’ at the Golden Globes?

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At the 2025 Golden Globes held at the Beverly Hilton, Vin Diesel stepped onto the stage to present the award for both cinematic and box office success (which ultimately went to Wicked). During his time on stage, he had a brief, awkward yet deliberate interaction with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, a former co-star from the Fast & Furious movie series.

For more than two decades, Diesel, the leading male character in the Fast & Furious series, hadn’t yet reached the nominees when he caught Johnson’s gaze from a table close to the stage. He casually greeted Johnson with a “Hey, Dwayne,” accompanied by a friendly wave and smile. The camera then focused on Johnson, who returned Diesel’s awkward grin. This brief exchange was the most tense moment of the award ceremony due to the long-standing lore of Fast & Furious and the ongoing tension between these action stars, which stemmed from their frequent collaborations in the franchise.

Johnson joined the Fast & Furious film series for the fifth part, titled Fast Five in 2011, playing Luke Hobbs. He continued to portray this character in three subsequent installments. Throughout this period, Johnson’s popularity in Hollywood grew significantly. However, by 2016, a strain developed between him and Diesel, marking the beginning of their prolonged conflict. The root of their feud can be traced back to a now-deleted Instagram post from Johnson in 2016, where he commended the women of the franchise while referring to some of his male co-stars as “cowards.

Johnson expressed in a post that no other franchise stirs him up as much as this one does. He adores his female co-stars and considers them fantastic, but his male counterparts present a different challenge. Some behave honorably and professionally, while others fall short. Those who fail to measure up are cowards, unwilling to take action. Wimps. If you notice in the movie coming out next April that I seem less than engaged in some scenes or visibly angry – you’re spot on.

Later, it was verified to Rolling Stone that it indeed concerned Diesel. “We hold contrasting perspectives regarding our filmmaking methods and collaboration,” Johnson stated. Over time, they exchanged criticisms during various interviews.

As a die-hard fan, I’ve always admired the powerful dynamic between Diesel and Johnson in the Fast & Furious franchise. In an interview, Diesel opened up about his on-set interactions with Johnson, revealing that he gave him a tough time to help bring out the best in his Hobbs character. “The Hobbs character was challenging to play,” Diesel confessed. “At the time, my method was all about tough love to help refine the performance… I could dish out a lot of tough love, not to the extreme like Fellini, but I’d go to great lengths to get top-notch performances in any project I’m involved with.

In 2021, two years following the massive success of his “Hobbs vs. Shaw” spinoff alongside Jason Statham, Johnson told The Hollywood Reporter that there were no plans for his character to reappear in the franchise. Johnson’s remarks about Diesel’s comments were met with laughter: “I laughed and laughed heartily. I believe everyone had a good chuckle at that. And I’ll leave it at that. I’ve wished them well. I wish them success on Fast 9, and I hope they have great luck on Fast 10 and Fast 11, as well as the rest of the Fast & Furious movies they make without me.

Following this incident, Johnson repeatedly accused Diesel of manipulation and unveiled plans for a Hobbs standalone film. He ultimately resolved their feud in 2023 by stating: “Though we’ve had our disagreements, Vin and I have been close for many years like brothers. Despite our differences, we always lead with resolution, and when you consider the future and ambitions that exceed our individual selves.

It’s not yet certain which upcoming movie featuring Johnson or the one with Diesel in the continuation of the series will come first, as there are multiple films in the main storyline that are being developed at this time.

After Sunday night’s comment, there may be renewed tension between the two. On X (formerly Twitter), reactions following the Golden Globes moment varied from labeling it extremely tense, “SOOOOOO LOADED!!!!!”, to another user stating, “VinDiesel greeting The Rock is the kind of drama that the #GoldenGlobes required.

For a full list of winners at the Globes, head here.

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2025-01-06 08:55