Vin Diesel has chosen sides in the latest “Fast and Furious” baldheaded beefcake beef — and it’s not with whom you think.
Tyrese Gibson, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Vin Diesel
Diesel, 50, showed solidarity with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in Johnson’s feud with Tyrese Gibson, despite having his own feud with the former WWE star last year.
Gibson, 38, lashed out at Johnson, 45, on social media last week after it was announced Johnson’s “Fast and Furious” spinoff would come out before “Fast and the Furious 9,” accusing Johnson and his Seven Bucks Productions partner Hiram Garcia of “breaking up the ‘Fast’ family.”
“Fast 9” was pushed back from an April 19, 2019 release, to April 10, 2020, while Johnson and “Fast” alum Jason Statham‘s spinoff is now set for a July 26, 2019 release.
Gibson rushed to Diesel’s defense when Diesel and Johnson butted heads on the “Fate of the Furious” set in 2016, but Diesel didn’t reciprocate this time around, though he made it clear that he was in charge of bringing The Great One on board.
“Brotherhood… and all it’s complexities … A woman named Jan Kelly responded to a question I had asked on Facebook, ‘who they would like to see me work with?’ She said would love to see me work with Dwayne,” Diesel captioned a snap of himself and Johnson from “Fast 5” on Saturday. “I listened to her request and he became Hobbs … I know there has been a lot of speculation as to why the Fast 9 release date was pushed… but it would be unfair to say it is anyone’s fault.”
“As we plot the course to expand the Fast & Furious universe, one must be mindful to take stock of the roads we took to get here. The pillars of authenticity, family and most importantly, our loyal fan’s perspective has been instrumental in procuring success,” Diesel added. “However, like any vehicle that has run around the globe 8 times, the franchise is in need of maintenance. My good friend and the godfather of Universal, Ron Meyer has granted me the time to do just that. We have some very exciting news to share soon… stay tuned.”
Johnson hasn’t directly responded to Gibson’s seemingly endless stream of social media posts, but he hinted at the drama in an Instagram video over the weekend.
“Real men work. Big dogs eat,” Johnson said during an intense workout clip. “Little crying puppies stay on the porch.”
“Big dog” Johnson’s plate is full for the next two years leading up to the Hobbs spinoff and “Fast 9” with the release of “Jumanji 2: Welcome to the Jungle” in December and is 10 more movies slated between now and 2018.
Gibson, who’s currently facing abuse allegations from his ex-wife, has “Fast 9” and one other project, “Desert Eagle,” announced for 2020. On Saturday, Gibson revealed on Instagram that he’d like to take on 20 musical performances to bide his time until “Fast 9” films.
