Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson Feud Timeline: Are They Friends Now?

Hey there, Fast & Furious fans! Remember when the biggest drama in the franchise wasn’t about car chases or saving the world, but rather about two of its biggest stars not getting along? That’s right, we’re diving into the infamous feud between Vin Diesel and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson that had us all grabbing our popcorn for nearly a decade.

From heated Instagram posts to public call-outs and everything in between, this behind-the-scenes drama was more explosive than any of the franchise’s action sequences. What started as whispers on set eventually erupted into a full-blown Hollywood showdown that would span years, test loyalties, and ultimately lead to one of the industry’s most talked-about reconciliations.

But here’s the real question: Have these two muscle-bound titans finally buried the hatchet? Let’s break down their rocky relationship and find out if family really does come first.

The beginning of the beef (2016)

Oh boy, where do we even start? Picture this: It’s August 2016, and everyone’s happily filming The Fate of the Furious – or so we thought. Then boom! Dwayne Johnson drops an Instagram post (now deleted) that shakes Hollywood like one of his signature People’s Elbows.

Without naming names (but come on, we all knew), The Rock called out certain male co-stars as “candy asses” who weren’t exactly winning any professionalism awards. Talk about spilling the tea!

Behind the scenes, things were messier than a street race gone wrong. Sources were whispering that the tension between the stars had been building up for months. The insider said:

Vin has been having problems with The Rock because The Rock keep showing up late for production. Sometimes he doesn’t show up at all and he’s delaying the production.

It was not just The Rock who came with the baggage. According to another source (via Page Six):

He was constantly late… He acted like a diva and has held up productions before, so it’s not surprising that he’s the one The Rock is calling out.

It just goes on to show that the feud had reached a point that even the crew members were picking up sides.

The “big brother” drama (2017)

Fast forward to April 2017, and Vin Diesel decides it’s time to play peacemaker – well, sort of. In what might go down as one of the most eyebrow-raising interviews with USA Today, Diesel tried to convince the world that everything was just peachy.

Get this: he claimed he and The Rock were actually “very close” and that Johnson was known as “Uncle Dwayne” in his household. But wait, it gets better! Diesel went full Dom Toretto and declared:

Dwayne has only got one Vin in his life. Dwayne Johnson only has one big brother in this film world and that’s me.

Talk about a plot twist! Little did he know, this whole “big brother” thing would come back to haunt him when The Rock later flat-out rejected the family title. Awkward much? It’s like when your cousin claims you’re besties at the family reunion, but you barely remember their name!

The interview became an instant classic in the Hollywood PR handbook of “What Not to Do When Trying to Squash Beef.” Diesel even went so far as to claim he was “protecting” the franchise and Johnson. The whole thing had fans wondering if they were watching a feud resolution or audition tapes for a soap opera.

“Tough love” and theater world (2021)

Just when we thought things couldn’t get more interesting, 2021 rolls around and Diesel serves up some prime entertainment in his Men’s Health interview. His explanation for the tension? He was just giving Johnson some “tough love” to improve his performance as Hobbs. You know, because that’s totally normal behavior between co-stars!

The Rock’s response? Pure gold. In a Vanity Fair interview that had us all reaching for the aloe vera, Johnson basically laughed it off, reminding everyone that while Diesel came from the world of theater, he came up “differently.”

The shade was so real, it could’ve cooled down an entire street race! Johnson didn’t just stop there – he made it crystal clear that he and Diesel were “philosophically two different people” and that their infamous trailer meeting back in 2016 wasn’t exactly what you’d call peaceful.

He and I had a good chat in my trailer, and it was out of that chat that it really became just crystal clear that we are two separate ends of the spectrum.

It was more like a “meeting of clarity” where they agreed to disagree and leave it at that. The whole situation had fans divided between Team Rock and Team Diesel faster than you can say “family.”

The failed peace offering

November 2021 brought us what might be the most cringe-worthy chapter in this saga. Picture this: Diesel takes to Instagram with what he probably thought was a heartfelt plea for Johnson to return for Fast 10. Sweet, right? Well, it might have been if he hadn’t brought up his children and the late Paul Walker in the process.

The Rock was NOT impressed. In fact, he went to CNN (yes, CNN!) to call out Diesel’s post as straight-up “manipulation.” Ouch! Johnson revealed he’d already privately declined to return and wasn’t too thrilled about Diesel making their private conversations public. It was like watching someone try to fix a relationship by proposing in public – spoiler alert: it usually doesn’t work!

My goal all along was to end my amazing journey with this incredible ‘Fast & Furious’ franchise with gratitude and grace. It’s unfortunate that this public dialogue has muddied the waters.

The whole situation got even more awkward when Johnson pointed out that they’d already had this conversation privately months before, making Diesel’s public plea feel less like an olive branch and more like a PR stunt.

The incident sparked a whole new round of social media debates, with fans divided over who was handling the situation better. It seemed like the Fast family was more fractured than ever.

The surprise return and reconciliation (2023)

Just when everyone thought this feud would outlast the Fast & Furious franchise itself (and let’s be honest, that’s saying something), 2023 hit us with a plot twist worthy of a Dom Toretto heist plan. Out of nowhere, The Rock pops up in Fast X‘s post-credits scene, leaving fans absolutely gobsmacked

The mastermind behind this reunion? Director Louis Leterrier. He told The Hollywood Reporter:

We sort of looked at each other from across the room and winked a few months back, saying, ‘We should work together.’ And then I had this idea and I presented it to the producers and the studio. And then we reached out to Dwayne and his team, and said, ‘Just come and watch the movie. You have to love the movie first.’ So, he came to see the movie and really loved it, and then we started talking. It was very smooth.

By June 1, Johnson was officially back in the family, announcing Hobbs’ return with a surprisingly mature take on his beef with Diesel.

The reunion wasn’t just for show either – Johnson was set to get his own standalone Hobbs film, proving that sometimes the best way to resolve a feud is with a hefty contract and creative control. Fans who had been following the drama from the start couldn’t believe their eyes, but hey, in the Fast & Furious world, anything is possible, right?

The Golden Globes moment (2025)

Fast forward to the 2025 Golden Globes, and we got treated to a moment that had social media buzzing faster than Dominic Toretto’s Dodge Charger. Picture this: Diesel’s on stage, about to present an award, when he spots Johnson in the audience. What follows is the kind of awkward acknowledgment that would make even a high school reunion look smooth!

But before X could blow up with feud revival theories, Diesel shut it all down with the most bromantic Instagram post ever – a throwback photo with The Rock, captioned “All love…always.“

The moment became an instant meme, but unlike the memes of their feud years, these were celebrating the bromance rather than the beef. It was a clear signal to fans that the days of Instagram shade and public call-outs were truly behind them. Sometimes, even Hollywood’s biggest stars need a little time and perspective to realize that life’s too short for petty feuds.

Current status: Friends at last?

So, where does this leave our favorite musclebound frenemies in 2025? Well, folks, it looks like this is one Hollywood feud we can finally put to rest. Not only is The Rock back in the Fast family, and he might be getting another Hobbs movie that’ll bridge the gap between future Fast and Furious movies.

Talk about a glow-up! Their journey from Instagram shade-throwing to actual reconciliation proves that even Hollywood’s biggest beef can be squashed with enough time, communication, and probably a few lucrative contract negotiations (hey, we’re just keeping it real!).

The relationship between these two powerhouses has evolved from tension-filled co-stars to what appears to be genuine respect and understanding. They’ve found a way to put their differences aside for the sake of the franchise and its fans.

The whole saga reads like a Fast & Furious plot: two alpha personalities clash, drama ensues, but in the end, family (even the Hollywood kind) prevails. Whether it was good business sense or genuine growth that brought these two back together, one thing’s for sure – the Fast & Furious franchise is stronger with both of them in it.

Now, can we get back to the important questions, like how many more impossible stunts can they pull off before physics finally gives up and goes home? Stay tuned, fam!