Vin Diesel is sending his love to Dwayne Johnson now that the Fast and Furious duo’s infamous feud is revealed. Diesel posted a throwback photo of the two actors on set on Instagram, writing a long caption praising Johnson for his contributions to the Fast series and praising his performance as Mark Carr in Smashing Machines.
“One of the greatest gifts in life is not something you can buy, but the relationships you build along the way,” Diesel wrote, noting that he met the real Carr when they first moved to California and trained together for the 2002 film “xXx.” “In a great way, he was there at the beginning of my action career. He was that kind of friend from day one.”
“And let me congratulate Dwayne,” Diesel continued. “People don’t understand what it takes to maintain global recognition every day. I remember asking Global Family what they’d like to see me work with, and a woman named Jean left me a comment saying that my dream would be to perform with Dwayne.” The work resulted in one of the most dynamic pairings in the movie world, with two strong personalities pushing each other to create something unforgettable.When Hobbs stepped into the role, he did it with all his might, leaving an indelible mark on Universal’s halls of fame.
Diesel finally acknowledged Johnson’s performance on “Smashing Machine”, writing, “Dwayne really did it…he took us back in time and he shined doing it.”
Johnson and Diesel famously had a feud during the making of the movie Fast and Furious. Their alleged beef went viral in August 2016, when Johnson called his co-star a “shithole” and “candy donkey” on Instagram. Rumors quickly spread that Johnson was referring to Diesel, and Johnson later told Men’s Health in 2021 that the “tough love” he gave The Rock to coax a great performance led to tension on set.
“The Hobbs character was a difficult character to embody,” Diesel said at the time. “My approach at the time was tough love, helping him get the performance he needed. As a producer, I said, ‘Okay, we’re going to hire Dwayne Johnson, who has a background in pro wrestling, and we’re going to force the world of this movie and the audience to see his character as someone they don’t know.'”
Diesel emphasized that he needed to step in to get the Hobbs performance he wanted from The Rock, saying, “Hobbs hits you like a ton of bricks. That’s what I’m proud of, that aesthetic. It took a lot of effort. We… I had to get there, and at that time, I was able to give a lot of tough love at times. It’s not Felliniesque, but I’m going to do whatever I have to do to get the performance in everything I produce.”
The feud looked like it would officially end in 2023 after Johnson shocked fans by appearing in the mid-credits scene of “Fast X.” Diesel approached Johnson about joining Fast X in November 2021, but Johnson said at the time that he would not be returning to the series. It turned out to be a bluff, and Johnson and Diesel will be working together again in the upcoming 11th film, Fast, if things go well.
“Last summer, Vin and I put all our past behind us,” Johnson tweeted after the theatrical release of “Fast
Diesel and Johnson faced off at the 2025 Golden Globes earlier this year. Diesel took to the stage to present “Wicked” with awards for film and box office performance, stopping at the beginning of his speech to yell, “Hey, Dwayne.” Cameras showed Johnson smiling awkwardly in the crowd as the audience laughed considering the checkered history of both actors.
