--- title: Vin Diesel Addresses The Rock Rumors description: The 'Fate of the Furious' costars have a rumored rocky relationship, but Diesel insists "Uncle Dwayne" is part of the family. canonical: https://time.com/4733448/vin-diesel-the-rock-feud-comments/ author: Raisa Bruner article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-04-10T20:07:08.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T07:42:41.278Z og:title: Vin Diesel Insists He and The Rock Are Feud-Free Buds og:description: "Dwayne Johnson only has one big brother in this film world and that’s me." og:url: https://time.com/4733448/vin-diesel-the-rock-feud-comments/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2156fc819b862552/6988c2228e0601c272469e02/the-rock-vin-diesel.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: Fast and Furious 5 - Premiere in Rio de Janeiro og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Vin Diesel Insists He and The Rock Are Feud-Free Buds twitter:description: "Dwayne Johnson only has one big brother in this film world and that’s me." twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2156fc819b862552/6988c2228e0601c272469e02/the-rock-vin-diesel.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Vin Diesel Insists He and The Rock Are Basically Feud-Free Alpha Brothers  by [Raisa Bruner](https://time.com/author/raisa-bruner/)  ## Raisa Bruner Apr 10, 2017 8:07 PM UTC  Dwayne Johnson (The Rock) and Vin Diesel (R) pose for photographers during the premiere of the movie "Fast and Furious 5" at Cinepolis Lagoon on April 15, 2011 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Dwayne Johnson (The Rock) and Vin Diesel (R) pose for photographers during the premiere of the movie "Fast and Furious 5" at Cinepolis Lagoon on April 15, 2011 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.Buda Mendes/STF—Getty Images  by [Raisa Bruner](https://time.com/author/raisa-bruner/)  ## Raisa Bruner Apr 10, 2017 8:07 PM UTC Last summer, reports surfaced of bad blood between [_The Fast and the Furious_](http://time.com/4726355/fast-and-the-furious-movies-ranked/) co-stars and Hollywood heavy hitters [Vin Diesel](http://time.com/4650300/vin-diesel-twitter/) and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. (The Rock [posted an Instagram message](http://time.com/4444921/the-rock-furious-8-male-costars/?iid=sr-link1) complaining about the male actors’ behavior on set, although he didn’t name names.) But as the two brawny [and beloved action heroes](http://time.com/4728793/the-rock-jimmy-fallon-mascot-photobomb/) take to the press circuit to promote the new [_Fate of the Furious_ ](http://time.com/4726355/fast-and-the-furious-movies-ranked/)this month,it looks like they’ve decided to approach their so-called feud with tactful diplomacy. In fact, Diesel even went [so far as to call](http://www.etonline.com/news/214822%5Fexclusive%5Fthe%5Frock%5Fand%5Fvin%5Fdiesel%5Ftalk%5Ffeud%5Frumors/) Hollywood’s highest paid celebrity “Uncle Dwayne,” according to _Entertainment Tonight._ “Dwayne Johnson only has one big brother in this film world and that’s me,” he told [_USA Today_](https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/entertainthis/2017/04/07/fate-furious-vin-diesel-talks-dwayne-johnson-rock-feud/100108476/?hootPostID=0f01fbc61223b5b852419a3fcc647cbd) in an interview over the weekend. “I protect everybody including Dwayne. I protected Dwayne more than he’ll ever know. And it doesn’t matter. He doesn’t have to know. But he appreciates it. He knows it,” Diesel said. He also insisted that he’s very much there to root The Rock on, given the fact they are both pioneering multicultural stars in an industry not known for its openness to diversity. “It’s not always easy being an alpha. And it’s [two alphas](http://time.com/4355140/dwayne-johnson-the-rock-president/),” Diesel further explained of the potential source of their troubles. The Rock’s response was a little more general. “Just like, in life, you have different philosophies and people have different fundamental philosophies on how you do things,” [he told ET](http://www.etonline.com/news/214822%5Fexclusive%5Fthe%5Frock%5Fand%5Fvin%5Fdiesel%5Ftalk%5Ffeud%5Frumors/) during a red carpet interview. It’s also worth noting that in the [blockbuster franchise](http://time.com/4726355/fast-and-the-furious-movies-ranked/item/the-fastest-and-furious-est-of-them-all/), Diesel’s Dominic Toretto and The Rock’s Hobbs play constantly-feuding frenemies. Is art imitating life? Is life imitating art? Or are “Uncle Dwayne” and Vin just blowing this up for the public relations? 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