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Dwayne Johnson has snubbed Vin Dieselโs offer to return to the โFast & Furiousโ franchise, and claims his former co-starโs public invitation was โan example of his manipulationโ.
The โRed Noticeโ star has insisted he previously told Diesel he would not be returning to the movie series, and as a result he was โvery surprisedโ when the 54-year-old actor took to Instagram in November to try to tempt him back.
Johnson โ who played Luke Hobbs in five โFast & Furiousโ films โ said: โI was very surprised by Vinโs recent post. This past June, when Vin and I actually connected not over social media, I told him directly โ and privately โ that I would not be returning to the franchise.
โI was firm yet cordial with my words and said that I would always be supportive of the cast and always root for the franchise to be successful, but that there was no chance I would return. I privately spoke with my partners at Universal as well, all of whom were very supportive as they understand the problem.
โVinโs recent public post was an example of his manipulation.โ
In his November post, Diesel said his children โ Hania, 13, Vincent, 11, and Pauline, six โ call Johnson โUncle Dwayneโ and he also referenced their late franchise co-star Paul Walker, who died in 2013 aged 40.
Diesel โ who plays Dominic Toretto in the movies โ wrote at the time: โMy little brother Dwayneโฆ the time has come. The world awaits the finale of Fast 10. As you know, my children refer to you as Uncle Dwayne in my house. There is not a holiday that goes by that they and you donโt send well wishesโฆ but the time has come. Legacy awaits. I told you years ago that I was going to fulfill my promise to Pablo. I swore that we would reach and manifest the best Fast in the finale that is 10! I say this out of loveโฆ but you must show up, do not leave the franchise idle you have a very important role to play. Hobbs canโt be played by no other. I hope that you rise to the occasion and fulfill your destiny. (sic)โ
And Johnson has admitted he didnโt like Diesel referring to his kids, or Walker, when trying to convince him to return to the franchise.
He told CNN: โI didnโt like that he brought up his children in the post, as well as Paul Walkerโs death. Leave them out of it. We had spoken months ago about this and came to a clear understanding.
โMy goal all along was to end my amazing journey with this incredible โFast & Furiousโ franchise with gratitude and grace.
โItโs unfortunate that this public dialogue has muddied the waters.
โRegardless, Iโm confident in the โFastโ universe and its ability to consistently deliver for the audience, and I truly wish my former co-stars and crew members the best of luck and success in the next chapter.โ