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Vin Diesel has popped up in the tabloids a few times over the years. Typically, anonymous sources will report on some sort of friction between Diesel and his co-stars. Here are some of those stories Gossip Cop has had to investigate.
At the heart of so many Diesel columns is his professional rivalry with his Fast Five co-star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. The two butted heads on the set of the eighth Fast & Furious, which is rumored to have led to the series splitting in two — one with Johnson and Jason Statham and another with Diesel and company. The rest of the rumors seem to cruelly focus on Diesel’s personal life.
Did Vin Diesel Demand $2 Million To Promote Bloodshot?
Understanding the Diesel/Johnson rivalry will explain where Star got their idea for this bogus story about Diesel demanding $2 million to promote his film Bloodshot. An anonymous “insider” told the tabloid that Diesel wanted “twice as much as The Rock” would make for promoting films, with People reporting that Johnson would make $1 million for promoting his own films.
That figure is misleading, as the price for promotion isn’t necessarily separate from what an actor would make when they agree to do a film in the first place. Gossip Cop spoke to Diesel’s rep, who told us exclusively that this story is “absolutely not true.”
Did Dwayne Johnson Drop Out Of F9 Because Of Diesel?
Playing off the classic Johnson/Diesel feud, Star also claimed that Johnson dropped out of Fast & Furious 9 because Diesel planned to direct. An alleged and seemingly untraceable insider said, “Vin and Dwayne can’t even be on set together” and, with “Vin determined to direct,” it would be impossible for the two to avoid each other. So, the source argued, Johnson dropped out.
Gossip Cop busted this story swiftly and easily. Diesel was never going to direct this film — Justin Lin is and has been the director. Furthermore, Johnson was never set to be in this film at all.
Did Vin Diesel Drop Out Of F9 After Accident On Set?
In another Fast & Furious 9 rumor, Globe, a sister magazine of Star, claimed that Diesel was quitting the film after an accident on set. There was a serious injury on the set of the film where stuntman Joe Watts grievously hurt his head. About a month later, he recovered and is fine now, thankfully. The tabloid despicably used this accident in conjunction with the tragic death of Diesel’s Fast & Furious co-star Paul Walker. The accident supposedly put Diesel “right back to the very dark place he was” in when Walker passed away.
Not true, Gossip Cop concluded. Production of the film was never in jeopardy and Diesel never threatened to drop out. We spoke to a source close to him, who confirmed the story was incorrect. F9 has been rescheduled to release on April 2, 2021 due to COVID-19.
Vin Diesel And Mike Myers Play Dungeons & Dragons?
Star has also promoted a story about Diesel and Mike Myers playing Dungeons and Dragons together. The article quoted, what else, an anonymous so-called “insider” who hurtfully said the pair “don’t have a ton of friends in Hollywood” so the two have chosen to play D&D together since no one else would.
This story was completely false. A rep for Myers went on the record with Gossip Cop to definitively state that “he doesn’t play the game. Mike doesn’t know Vin Diesel either.” Diesel has publicly spoken about his love of D&D, and Myers said he used to play the tabletop game when he was a kid. We can conclude, however, that tales of adventure with the two together are pure fiction.