Vin Diesel's Message For Dwayne Johnson At 2025 Golden Globes Has Everyone Losing It

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Fans are going wild over Vin Diesel and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's tense exchange at the 2025 Golden Globes, long after they were believed to have reconciled following their highly publicized rift. As fans might recall, the actors famously butted heads during their time together on "Fast & Furious 8" and continued their rivalry for years afterward. While taking the stage to present the award for cinematic and box office achievement, Diesel acknowledged his former co-star, who was seated in the crowd next to his daughter, Simone Alexandra Johnson. Before his speech, Diesel gave a small chuckle and shouted out The Rock, saying, "Hey, Dwayne," to which the latter responded with a nod and an awkward smile. 

You can cut the tension between The Rock and Vin Diesel with a knife 😂😂😂 #GoldenGlobes pic.twitter.com/JGu1dBF1HV

— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod 🇸🇴 (@big_business_) January 6, 2025

On X, formerly Twitter, fans pointed out the palpable tension between the actors despite the seemingly friendly exchange, with one noting, "You could literally see The Rock's hatred towards Vin Diesel in that shot." Another agreed, saying, "Vin Diesel saying 'Hey, Dwayne' to The Rock. I thought some s**t was gonna pop off."

Diesel and Dwayne began their rivalry in 2016 after Dwayne took to Instagram to shade his male co-stars on "Fast and Furious 8" (which also starred Jason Statham, Ludacris, and Tyrese Gibson). Though he didn't specifically mention Diesel, he later admitted to their rift and announced his decision to leave the "Fast & Furious" franchise in 2021. Speaking to Men's Health, Diesel revealed that his attempt to motivate Johnson by showing him "tough love" on-set was what really caused their feud. Dwayne, however, disagreed and dismissed Diesel's statement as "bulls**t," according to his own interview with Vanity Fair.  It wasn't until a year later that the two were able to make amends and move past their beef.

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In late 2021, Vin Diesel took to Instagram to publicly appeal to Dwayne Johnson, urging him to return to the "Fast & Furious" franchise after Johnson had announced his departure. "I say this out of love... but you must show up," Diesel wrote in his post. "Do not leave the franchise idle, you have a very important role to play." Referring to Johnson's character, Agent Luke Hobbs, Diesel added, "[He] can't be played by no other." However, Johnson didn't take kindly to the gesture, accusing Diesel of trying to manipulate him by bringing up his daughters and their late co-star, Paul Walker. He also revealed that he and Diesel had already spoken privately regarding the matter, which is why he found his appeal disingenuous and self-serving.

According to Johnson, he and Diesel have had several private discussions in order to smooth out their differences during filming. While chatting with Rolling Stone, he mused, "What I came to realize is that we have a fundamental difference in philosophies on how we approach moviemaking and collaborating. It took me some time, but I'm grateful for that clarity." He also expressed his best wishes for Diesel despite their unresolved rift.

After years of tension, Johnson confirmed in 2023 that he and Diesel had finally put an end to their beef. He shared the news of their reconciliation in an Instagram post announcing his return to the "Fast & Furious" franchise with the spin-off, "Hobbs & Shaw," starring himself and Jason Statham. "Last summer Vin and I put all the past behind us," The Rock happily announced. Moving forward, he stressed, "We'll lead with brotherhood and resolve — and always take care of the franchise, characters & FANS that we love."