During the January 5 ceremony, Diesel, who was there to present the award for cinematic and box office achievement, had a brief but impactful interaction with Johnson, also a presenter that night. The two actors, who have a long-standing history of tension, exchanged a simple greeting from the stage. Diesel said, "Hey, Dwayne," to which Johnson responded with a smile, making headlines due to their past feud.
In an interview with Variety, Golden Globes executive producers Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner revealed their initial reaction to the exchange. They admitted that, for a moment, they wondered if something dramatic might unfold on live TV. “It kind of keeps you gripped, and even you in the press room, us in the truck, are going, ‘Wait, what? What’s happening?’” Weiss recalled. He added that their job was to capture and share what was happening in the room, even if it left the audience unsure of what to make of it.
Diesel and Johnson’s feud goes back to 2016, when Johnson criticized an unnamed unprofessional male co-star—later revealed to be Diesel—following their work together on Fast and Furious 8. The two actors exchanged several pointed comments over the years, leading Johnson to step away from the Fast franchise. However, after several years, the actors reconciled in 2023, with Johnson returning for a mid-credits cameo in Fast X and also starring in the Hobbs & Shaw spin-off. He is expected to reprise his role in the upcoming Fast films.
As for another Golden Globes moment involving Sofia Vergara, producers had no concerns. Vergara, who was nominated for her role in the series Griselda, playfully heckled Jodie Foster after she won the Best Actress award in a limited series or TV movie category, shouting, "Give me one!" as Foster made her way to the stage. Kirshner dismissed any concern, calling it "playful," and added, “I don’t think there was any moment where I was like, ‘Oh shit, something’s going wrong.’”
In both instances, the producers showed no signs of panic, recognizing the moments as part of the live event's unpredictable and exciting nature.
