When Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson took to Instagram to call out a “chicken shit” and “candy ass” co-star on the set of The Fate of the Furious, it was a shock. The Rock is a known entity, made of 90 percent cod and the rest sunshine. This didn’t seem like dad. Over the next eight months or so, more details emerged, and it eventually became clear that the object of Johnson's fury is franchise veteran and the film’s co-producer, Vin Diesel. What else might one expect between two grown men named The Rock and Diesel?
Just this Saturday, as the cast and crew took to the premiere red carpet, The Rock tied a nice bow on the situation while also leaving a lot of room for interpretation. He told Entertainment Tonight, “Oftentimes, just like in life, you have different philosophies and people have different fundamental philosophies on how you do things. And again, the most important thing is just the movie. So I’m happy that we're here in New York City, I’m happy the fans love it.”
Below, what happens when Vin Diesel gets stuck between The Rock and a furious place:
August 8, 2016
During the last week of Fast and the Furious 8 filming, The Rock broke the news that not all was well in the Furious family with an Instagram. He hashtagged the post “zero tolerance for candy asses,” thereby bestowing the kerfuffle with its rightful name: The Candy-Ass Feud.
At the time, people who were fine in The Rock’s book included: the crew, Universal Studios, his female co-stars, and most of his male co-stars, according to his caption. “Some [male co-stars] conduct themselves as stand up men and true professionals, while others don't. The ones that don't are too chicken shit to do anything about it anyway. Candy asses.”
“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,” he added.
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Who is said “candy ass”? was the mystery of the day. Diesel, along with Scott Eastwood, Jason Statham, Kurt Russell, and Tyrese Gibson could have each been implicated. The following day, Gibson posted and deleted a long Instagram absolving himself.
August 9, 2016
TMZ alleged that there was a “secret meeting” between both sides of the feud. Anonymous crew pointed fingers at Diesel as the focus of the ire.
August 10, 2016
Two days later everything is fine. It’s fine! The Rock wrote in another Instagram caption saying it was so. “Family is gonna have differences of opinion and fundamental core beliefs,” the actor wrote. “To me, conflict can be a good thing, when it’s followed by great resolution. I was raised on healthy conflict and welcome it. And like any family, we get better from it.”
August 11, 2016
A groggy Diesel celebrates the end of filming by spinning up a tale about his daughter learning the word “happy,” and then takes a severe 90-degree turn, ending the story with a serious sounding, “So give me a second and I will tell you everything. Everything.” Diesel's defensive words seemed to implicate himself as the “candy ass."
He never delivered on his promise, but it kept the wound open.
August 19, 2016
The Rock posts an Instagram calling nearly everyone out by name to thank them. Diesel did not make this list.
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September 2, 2016
Diesel and Johnson’s co-star Michelle Rodriguez confirms the feud. “Any human being who knows what men are like knows to stay out [of those] situations and let them figure it out,” she told People at a Call of Duty event in Los Angeles.
November 19, 2016
The feud was good for the family, The Rock told the Los Angeles Times. “I was very clear with what I said. I’ve been in the game a long time,” he said, while adding that news of the feud only raised public interest in the film itself.
April 7, 2017
The film’s press push starts in earnest. Diesel alluded to the feud without any specifics in an interview with USA Today.
“I don’t think the world really realizes how close we are, in a weird way,” Diesel said. “I think some things may be blown out of proportion. I don't think that was his intention. I know he appreciates how much I work this franchise. In my house, he’s Uncle Dwayne. . . . It’s not always easy being an alpha. And it’s two alphas. Being an alpha is sometimes a pain in the (butt).”
April 9, 2017
With six days to go until the movie opens to the public, The Rock told Entertainment Tonight that the beef was a matter of “different philosophies.”
Diesel, who was also on the red carpet, said of Johnson, “We still love each other, that's my boy. When I was making that difficult decision, should there be an 8 or not, I called [Johnson] and he said, ‘Brother, I will be there shoulder to shoulder with you to make sure it's the best movie in history.’ And he delivered.”
“At my house he’s ‘Uncle Dwayne’ and I’m proud of that,” he added.
Family. It might begin with candy asses, but it always ends with family for these guys.
