Actor Dwayne Johnson is coming under some heavy fire for tweets that he made back in 2011.
The tweets surfaced after the “Red Notice” actor publicly through his support behind Joe Rogan after he apologized to Neil Young and others for the spread of COVID-19 misinformation. Note that this is a separate apology than the one he gave India Arie after she made a post containing clips of him using the “N-word” on his podcast.
“Great stuff here brother,” Johnson wrote on Instagram in response to Rogan’s first apology video. “Perfectly articulated. Look forward to coming on one day and breaking out the tequila with you.”
Many fans were not happy with The Rock and brought up some other times that he had posted an insensitive tweet that many are calling transphobic.
Dwayne Johnson Gets Called Out For 2011 Transphobic Tweet
Although the context behind the original post isn’t clear, a screenshot of Johnson’s tweet from 2011 has been going viral. He replied to @katierobin23 saying, “ .. Shhh.. don’t be angry Mrs. Katie. It’s not our fault you’re turning tranny tricks to put yourself thru nursing school. Shhh..”
The profile of @katierobin23 hasn’t been active since 2020. Her page says that she joined Twitter in January 2009, hails from North Carolina, and seems to be a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) nurse based on pictures uploaded to her account in 2017. Her oldest tweet dates back to June 22, 2013, when she wrote, “Rainy day at the beach.”
Rainy day at the beach 😒⛅☔
— Katie V. (@katierobin23) June 22, 2013
It’s not clear what his original beef was with Katie, but his transphobic remarks had everyone calling him out… even Donald Trump Jr.
Donald Trump Jr. Asks Dwayne Johnson For His ‘Groveling Apology’
Wow, @TheRock, you can’t just try to quietly delete transphobic attacks without giving a groveling apology and expect to ever work in Hollywood again.
Do @UnderArmour, @Ford, @Apple, @Netflix and the rest of his sponsors/partners agree with this hateful rhetoric? pic.twitter.com/tkS0jpv5gw
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) February 5, 2022
Over the weekend, the former president’s oldest son saw the tweet and attached a screenshot.
“Wow, @TheRock, you can’t just try to quietly delete transphobic attacks without giving a groveling apology and expect to ever work in Hollywood again,” he wrote alongside the snap.
“Do @UnderArmour, @Ford, @Apple, @Netflix and the rest of his sponsors/partners agree with this hateful rhetoric?” he asks. The “Jungle Cruise” actor has many sponsorship deals and had most recently plugged his newest collaboration with Under Armour on February 3.
Some supporters thanked Donald Trump Jr. for highlighting the controversy… including Caitlyn Jenner.
Caitlyn Jenner Thanks Donald Trump Jr. For Calling Out Dwayne Johnson: ‘The Double Standard Is Real’
Hmmmm… the double standard is real. @TheRock I love you but cmon dude…let’s be real. Cancel culture has got to go. Use your platform. @DonaldJTrumpJr thanks for highlighting
— Caitlyn Jenner (@Caitlyn_Jenner) February 6, 2022
Caitlyn Jenner saw the post and couldn’t help but notice that Dwayne Johnson never apologized for his previous transphobic comments.
“Hmmmm… the double standard is real,” she wrote. “@TheRock I love you but cmon dude…let’s be real. Cancel culture has got to go. Use your platform. @DonaldJTrumpJr thanks for highlighting.”
Although some fans called out Johnson and demanded an apology, others thought that the tweet – which is over 10 years old now – is no longer a reflection of the “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” actor and his current views.
“The tweet was from 2011 !” one supporter commented. “It’s clear the rock has changed his attitude towards transgenders and not just them, but the rest of the world as a whole! I’m almost certain you’ve said something in the past that’s controversial, you’ve just hidden it !”
However, people aren’t sure it’s all in the past…
Dwayne Johnson Responds To Cheri Jacobs, Fans Call It ‘Misogynistic’
I am glad you finally now see the racists comments by Rogan and can address this. Also, I don’t get “triggered” so maybe stop that.
— Cheri Jacobus (@CheriJacobus) February 3, 2022
After Cheri Jacobs called Dwayne Johnson out for supporting Joe Rogan on Twitter, Johnson decided to call her out as well.
Johnson tweeted, “Hi Cheri, Good morning, it’s DJ. You’re all over my timeline so I wanted to share some context with you so hopefully you’re no longer triggered by headlines you read. I thought his response was contrite and more importantly, open to change to becoming better.”
Jacobs shot back with: “Joe Rogan to a guest who said he has a Black dad and a white mom: ‘Powerful combination genetic wise. Right? You get the body of the Black man and then you get the mind of the white man altogether in some strange combination.’ ‘Black people’ have ‘a different brain.’”
“I am glad you finally now see the racists comments by Rogan and can address this. Also, I don’t get ‘triggered’ so maybe stop that,” she added.
Many fans were also taken aback by Johnson’s condescending response.
“I’m really tired of men calling women ‘triggered’ just because we express an opinion or feeling,” commented writer Tara Dublin. “Be better than this, Rock.”
“I love the Rock and I don’t want to read this stuff about him but man, I’m so disappointed,” another wrote.
Although Johnson later apologized, many are still wondering how well they know Dwayne Johnson after all.
Thank you, @TheRock. I appreciate the apology. Your voice is powerful, and words matter. I will have a great & productive weekend and hope you do, too.
— Cheri Jacobus (@CheriJacobus) February 5, 2022
