Vin Diesel Praises Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson For ‘Fast 8’ Role Amid Feud Rumors

Vin Diesel had nothing but good things to say about his “Fast 8” co-star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, despite rumors that the pair are at odds.

In a video shared to Facebook over the weekend, Diesel opened up about his lasting role in the “Fast & Furious” franchise. The actor thanked those who have supported him and his co-stars, telling viewers that there would be no “Fast 8” without them. Diesel also took a moment to discuss Johnson’s casting, revealing that while he is perfect for the role of Hobbs, it was originally written for someone else. A fan initially suggested that Diesel and Johnson would work well together, which lead to the former pro-wrestler being given a shot at the part.

“The reason we brought Dwayne Johnson into Fast 5 was because of you!” Diesel said (via Us Weekly). “There was a [fan] named Jan Kelly who said, ‘I would love to see you guys work together on screen.’ So we gave the role that was originally written for Tommy Lee Jones, we gave it to Dwayne and he shined in it.”

Diesel has been outspoken in his gratitude for his “Fast 8” co-stars lately. On Aug. 16, he posted a photo on Instagram, revealing to fans how “proud” he was of the entire cast. He seemingly touched on rumors of drama on set, noting that there had been some “intense” moments behind-the-scenes, but that had not changed his feelings about any of the people he worked with on “Fast 8.” Diesel closed out his message by reminding his 25.8 million followers to stay gracious.

It remains unclear whether reports that Diesel and Johnson were feuding are true and, if so, what the root of their problem was. On Aug. 10, TMZ reported that they had gotten into it on the “Fast 8” set over an Instagram post by Johnson. Diesel is said to have stormed off after wrapping his scenes, though he has never confirmed this.

The post in question appeared on Johnson’s Instagram page on Aug. 15. In it, he revealed that he would be finishing filming his “Fast 8” scenes that week. He praised the entire cast as being “incredible,” but noted that it wasn’t always easy. Johnson said that the females on the cast were “always amazing,” but the men were a different story as some were unable to act like “true professionals.”

“This is my final week of shooting #FastAndFurious8. An incredible hard-working crew. Universal has been great partners as well. My female co-stars are always amazing, and I love ‘em…My male co-stars, however, are a different story,” he wrote. “Some conduct themselves as stand-up men and true professionals, while others don’t. The ones that don’t are too chicken s--- to do anything about it anyway. Candy a----. When you watch this movie next April, and it seems like I’m not acting in some of these scenes, and my blood is legit boiling, you’re right.”