The Rock has spoken out after he appeared to brutally 'ignore' an ex-NFL star in an awkward encounter.
Dwayne Johnson is one of the most recognisable faces in the world, having first risen to fame through WWE before moving to a hugely successful Hollywood career.
Over the years, he has become a household name thanks to his roles in blockbuster films such as Fast & Furious and San Andreas. And the 53-year-old is set to return to the big screen once again, with Johnson taking the lead role in The Smashing Machine, a biopic about the former UFC fighter Mark Kerr.
But while he was being filmed for another project, Johnson appeared to snub one of his fans that turned out to be a former NFL star. The former Tennessee Titans tackle Taylor Lewan posted a clip to X that showed The Rock walking past him while surrounded by film crew.
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In the video, he doesn't appear to notice Lewan at all. He captioned it: "This is the absolute worst case scenario for me."
The post quickly spread on social media, and it did not take long for Johnson to notice and respond himself.
On X, he wrote: "Dude what in theeeeee f**k lol.
"Why didn’t you say something!!? Smack me in the head next time brother".
The response made it clear that it was just a light-hearted exchange, with Lewan accepting blame for being too timid.
"I’ll be honest, this isn’t on you, he replied.
"I folded under pressure. Gotta figure out a way to get redemption."
Johnson has firmly established himself as one of Hollywood's most in-demand stars, and his latest work with the director Ben Safdie will push him into new territory.
The pair worked together on The Smashing Machine, where Johnson plays the wrestler Kerr.
And they will link up again for Lizard Music, where The Rock will play a 70-year-old-man known as Chicken Man.
That role will require a huge body transformation, with The Rock preparing to lose 60 pounds.
Johnson told SPORTbible: "I gained 30 pounds to play Mark Kerr and then came back down after that to my normal weight of around 250 or so.
"Now I'm in the process of slimming down where I play a 70 something year old man.
"So the slimming down is happening. And we have time to do it, which is really nice.
"There's nothing extreme about it. I can't wait, because, again, it's the opportunity that I have where I can immerse myself into something and disappear."
THE SMASHING MACHINE opens in theatres in the US and UK on October 3
Interview conducted by Niamh Shackleton
Topics: Dwayne Johnson, NFL, The Rock, WWE
James Taylor