Earlier this year, a viral report from The Wrap accused Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson of peeing in water bottles to save time and showing up to the set of Red One as many as eight hours late. The reports suggested that Johnson’s absence and tardiness inflated the budget of the already expensive Amazon MGM film Red One to $250 million.
In a new cover story for GQ magazine, Johnson admitted, “Yeah that happens, but not in that amount, by the way. That was a bananas amount. That’s crazy, ridiculous,” in response to his repeated tardiness. He also confessed to peeing in water bottles on occasion to save time when he was not near his trailer. He said, “Yeah that happens… I’ve said a thousand times: ‘Hey, I’m here. Come and ask me. And I’ll tell you the truth.’” He ultimately called the controversy caused by the report “bullshit.”
The director of Red One, Jake Kasdan, who previously directed Johnson in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and its sequel Jumanji: The Next Level, defended the actor. “[Dwayne] never missed a day of work ever. He has a lot going on. He can be late sometimes, but such is Hollywood — that’s the case with everybody. Honestly, I’ve made three big movies with him. I’ve never seen him be anything but great to every single person on the set,” Kasdan said.
Co-star Chris Evans echoed this sentiment, saying that Johnson frequently worked out in the mornings before filming, a routine the crew was aware of and accustomed to. “It’s not like he’s late unexpectedly, and I wouldn’t even call it late. He comes in slightly later on certain mornings, but it’s part of the plan. It’s worked into the schedules and everyone knows it, so he shows up when he’s scheduled to show up,” Evans said.
Johnson’s controversies do not end with the troubled production of Red One, as it was also highlighted by a rumored feud with Ryan Reynolds on the set of Netflix’s Red Notice, where Reynolds reportedly lashed out at him on a day Johnson showed up five hours late. Combined with past drama between Johnson and Fast and Furious co-star Vin Diesel, the actor is no stranger to controversy.
Red One, starring Dwayne Johnson, Chris Evans and J.K. Simmons, releases in U.S. theaters on Nov. 15.
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