2021 BET Awards: Megan Thee Stallion, H.E.R., Jazmine Sullivan win big; Cardi B reveals second pregnancy
Megan Thee Stallion, H.E.R. and Jazmine Sullivan were among the big winners at the in-person 2021 BET Awards, which aired live Sunday night from the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles, California.
Actress Taraji P. Henson hosted the star-studded event, which honors the best and the brightest in Black music, culture, and entertainment. This year's theme was "Year of the Black Woman."
After a performance of her new song, “Thot S***,” Megan took home three of the biggest awards of the night: Best Female Hip Hop Artist, Viewer's Choice Award for the "Savage" remix featuring Beyonce, and Video of the Year for her "WAP" collaboration with Cardi B.
Meanwhile, Cardi B surprised everyone by revealing her baby bump while performing “Type S***," alongside her husband Offset, and Quavo and Takeoff of Migos. This marks Cardi’s second child with her husband Offset and her second time announcing her pregnancy on a live television show. Cardi announced her first pregnancy with the couple’s now-two-year-old daughter, Kulture, on Saturday Night Live in 2018.
For his debut performance at the awards show, Moneybagg Yo performed his single, “Wockesha,” and his hit single, "Time Today." The star-studded evening also included lively performances from DaBaby, Roddy Ricch, Tyler, The Creator, Lil Nas X, Andra Day, Silk Sonic, Lil Durk, DJ Khaled, The Lox, Method Man, and more.
H.E.R., who wowed the audience with a show-stopping performance of "We Made It," also won the award for Best Female R&B/Pop Artist.
Jazmine Sullivan brought out Congresswoman Maxine Waters and Ari Lennox during her performance. Sullivan also gave a heartfelt speech thanking her mother and all Black women after winning the award for Album of the Year for Heaux Tales.
"This award is bigger than me," says Sullivan during her acceptance speech. "It’s for all the women, all the Black women that are amazing and strong, that have inspired me all my life. I’m so glad that I was able to tell part of our stories. I hope I did y’all proud."
In addition to performances, Henson kept the audience lively with celebratory comments about the impact of Black women. Henson also dressed up as Erykah Badu, Tina Turner, and other inspiring women throughout the show.
Other notable highlights from the over-three-hour show include a tribute performance for the late rapper DMX and a tribute performance for Queen Latifah, who received the Lifetime Achievement Award. Female emcees Rapsody, Lil Kim, MC Lyte, and Monie Love celebrated the artist and actress "who has been creating magic for decades" by performing her notable singles, "U.N.I.T.Y." and "Ladies First."
"I want to thank BET for creating an outlet for beautiful Blackness to thrive and shine," said Latifah during her acceptance speech.
Here is the current list of winners of the 2021 BET Awards. The awards were presented Sunday night from Los Angeles’ Microsoft Theater.
Album of the Year
Heaux Tales – Jazmine Sullivan
Best Female R&B / Pop Artist
H.E.R.
Best New Artist
Giveon
Best Group
Silk Sonic
Best Female Hip Hop Artist
Megan Thee Stallion
Best Male Hip Hop Artist
Lil Baby
BET Her Award
SZA – "Good Days"
Best International Act
Burna Boy (Nigeria)
Best New International Act
Bree Runway (UK)
Viewer’s Choice Award
Megan Thee Stallion Ft. Beyoncé – "Savage (Remix)"
Video of the Year
Cardi B Ft. Megan Thee Stallion – "WAP"
Best Actress
Andra Day - The United States vs Billie Holiday
Sportswoman of the Year Award
Naomi Osaka
Sportsman of the Year Award
Lebron James
Lifetime Achievement Awards
Queen Latifah
Awards that have yet to be announced:
Best Collaboration
Cardi B Ft. Megan Thee Stallion – "WAP"
DaBaby Ft. Roddy Ricch – "Rockstar"
DJ Khaled Ft. Drake – "Popstar"
Jack Harlow Ft. DaBaby, Tory Lanez & Lil Wayne – "What’s Poppin (Remix)"
Megan Thee Stallion Ft. DaBaby – "Cry Baby"
Pop Smoke Ft. Lil Baby & DaBaby – "For The Night"
Best Male R&B / Pop Artist
6lack
Anderson .Paak
Chris Brown
Giveon
Tank
The Weeknd
Video Director of the Year
Benny Boom
Bruno Mars And Florent Déchard
Cole Bennett
Colin Tilley
Dave Meyers
Hype Williams
Best Movie
Coming 2 America
Judas and the Black Messiah
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
One Night in Miami
Soul
The United States Vs. Billie Holiday
Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel / Inspirational Award
Bebe Winans – "In Jesus Name"
Cece Winans – "Never Lost"
H.E.R. – "Hold Us Together"
Kirk Franklin – "Strong God"
Marvin Sapp – "Thank You For It All"
Tamela Mann – "Touch From You"
Best Actor
Aldis Hodge
Chadwick Boseman
Damson Idris
Daniel Kaluuya
Eddie Murphy
Lakeith Stanfield
Youngstars Award
Alex R. Hibbert
Ethan Hutchison
Lonnie Chavis
Marsai Martin
Michael Epps
Storm Reid
Source-ABC
WEATHER FORECAST FOR MONDAY JUNE 28th, 2021.
GENERAL SITUATION: MID TO LOW LEVEL TROUGHING ASSOCIATED WITH A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM NORTH OF THE BAHAMAS, ALONG WITH STREAMING TROPICAL MOISTURE WILL CONTINUE TO ENHANCE SHOWER ACTIVITY, AS THE SYSTEM MOVES WESTWARD.
MEANWHILE, HIGH PRESSURE RIDGING WILL CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN MODERATE TO LOCALLY FRESH WINDS THROUGH TONIGHT.
SPECIAL WARNINGS: THERE REMAINS A RISK OF WATERSPOUT ACTIVITY. BEACHGOERS IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS SHOULD EXERCISE CAUTION ALONG EASTERN SHORELINES DUE TO THE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS. THE PUBLIC IS ADVISED TO REMAIN HYDRATED AS HEAT INDICES ARE EXPECTED TO CLIMB INTO THE TRIPLE DIGITS.
AREA: ALL AREAS
WEATHER: VARIABLY CLOUDY, HUMID AND A BIT BREEZY WITH WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE THROUGH TONIGHT.
ADVISORY: SMALL CRAFT CAUTION REMAINS IN EFFECT ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS.
WINDS: EAST TO SOUTHEAST AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS IN THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS, AND EAST TO SOUTHEAST AT 15 TO 20 KNOTS IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS.
SEAS: 2 TO 4 FEET IN THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS, AND 4 TO 6 FEET OVER THE OCEAN IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS.
MONDAY’S HIGH TEMPERATURE: 90°F 32°C
OVERNIGHT LOW TEMPERATURE: 74°F 23°C
HEAT INDEX: 100°F 38°C
SUNRISE: 6:23 AM
SUNSET: 8:02 PM
MOONSET: 10:16 AM
MOONRISE: 11:45 PM
HIGH TIDE: 11:33 AM
LOW TIDE: 5:37 PM
HIGH TIDE: 11:57 PM
LOW TIDE: 6:28 AM THU.
EXTENDED FORECAST (FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS): STREAMING TROPICAL MOISTURE WILL KEEP RAIN CHANCES ELEVATED ACROSS THE BAHAMAS THROUGH WEDNESDAY.
TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK: THERE ARE CURRENTLY TWO AREAS OF INTEREST BEING MONITORED: (1) A SMALL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM IS LOCATED ABOUT 300 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF SAVANNAH, GEORGIA. THE ASSOCIATED SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY REMAINS DISORGANIZED, WITH MOST OF IT DISPLACED TO THE NORTHWEST OF THE SURFACE CENTER DUE TO STRONG UPPER-LEVEL WINDS. THE LOW IS FORECAST TO MOVE QUICKLY WEST-NORTHWESTWARD AT 15 TO 20 MPH, CROSSING OVER THE WARMER WATERS OF THE GULF STREAM LATER THIS MORNING, AND IT HAS SOME POTENTIAL TO BECOME A TROPICAL DEPRESSION OR TROPICAL STORM BEFORE REACHING THE COAST OF GEORGIA OR SOUTHERN SOUTH CAROLINA BY THIS EVENING. THIS SYSTEM HAS A MEDIUM OR 60 PERCENT CHANCE OF DEVELOPMENT THROUGH THE NEXT FIVE DAYS. (2) A BROAD AREA OF LOW PRESSURE ASSOCIATED WITH A TROPICAL WAVE IS PRODUCING A SMALL CLUSTER OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE EASTERN TROPICAL ATLANTIC. THIS SYSTEM HAS A LOW OR 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF DEVELOPMENT THROUGH THE NEXT FIVE DAYS.CURRENTLY, NONE OF THESE SYSTEMS POSE A THREAT TO THE BAHAMAS OR THE TURKS & CAICOS ISLANDS.
Suns sink Clippers with last-second Ayton dunk
Deandre Ayton made the go-ahead catch and dunk with one second left and a bloodied Devin Booker scored 20 points as the Phoenix Suns shocked the Los Angeles Clippers 104-103 in game two of their NBA play-off series on Tuesday night.
Booker shook off a cruel clash of heads that left him bloodied and bruised, returning to the game as the Suns took down the Clippers in a see-saw fourth quarter to win their ninth straight and seize a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference finals.
“It was like a Muhammad Ali fight with haymaker after haymaker going back and forth,” said Suns guard Cameron Payne, who finished with a career-high 29 points.
Ayton scored the eventual game winner in a thrilling finish as the Suns perfectly executed on their final possession of the game.
The play started with an inbounds pass by Suns forward Jae Crowder who lobbed it directly to the front of the basket where a leaping Ayton was waiting. He caught and then dunked the ball in one motion to give to give the Suns a 104-103 lead with 0.7 seconds left.
Clippers Paul George then put up a desperation shot at the buzzer but it hit the front of the rim and bounced harmlessly away to end the game in front of the crowd of 16,600 at Phoenix Suns Arena.
“Jae made a great pass,” said Ayton, who finished with 24 points and 14 rebounds. “I am glad it counted. We just wanted to finish the game strong.”
If game one in the series was the feel-out game then game two was the knockout punch. Booker had his nose bloodied late in the third quarter when he accidently butted heads with Clippers' Pat Beverley.
The 24-year-old Booker needed two stitches and may have broken his nose. But rather than let it end his night, Booker returned to power his team to victory with another superb offensive performance.
“They put a lot of pressure on D-Brook. I hope his nose isn't broken,” said Ayton.
Payne raised the bar to make 12 of 24 shots from the field and had nine assists with no turnovers. He was starting at guard for the second-straight game with Chris Paul out after reportedly testing positive for COVID-19.
George scored 26 points and Reggie Jackson added 19 for the Clippers, who also fell behind 2-0 in their previous series against the top seeded Utah Jazz before rallying to win.
George missed a pair of free throws with 8.2 seconds left that could have put the game out of reach for the Clippers.
“We had a chance to win the game,” said Clippers Head Coach Ty Lue. “We played, we didn't win this game, it is unfortunate. It happens.
“We got to go home and take care of business.”
Game three is Thursday in Los Angeles.
The Clippers were playing their fourth-consecutive play-off game without forward Kawhi Leonard, who is out with a sprained right knee.
Barbados to get first shipment of China's Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines
Thirty thousand doses of China's Sinopharm vaccine are expected to arrive in Barbados on Friday, Minister of Health Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Bostic said today, as he also reported a new cluster of COVID-19 cases at one business place just a week before curfew restrictions are due to be lifted.
After days reporting no new cases or one to two new cases, Bostic said one local business accounted for six of the seven new COVID-19 cases reported for Tuesday.
He said one case from the business was identified recently and the number could possibly increase as three other persons from the same business were currently being assessed at the Harrison Point Isolation Facility in the northern parish of St Lucy.
Last weekend, Prime Minister Mia Mottley announced that the existing curfew would be lifted on June 30 and parties would again be allowed under certain restrictions.
But Bostic said the cluster of cases at the institution suggested that people were dropping their guard and were not strictly adhering to the COVID-19 protocols.
“At a time when our cases are low, and we are having those numbers in one business place…I want to re-emphasise the call to all persons in this county not to be fooled by the fact that we are having a low number of positive cases,” he said.
“This enemy is still with us. It does not always raise its head for us to see, but it is a clear and present danger. And, there is a requirement for all of us – all business places, all institutions – to follow the protocols and make sure that staff, clients and customers do the same. If you do not continue along that path, then we will start to see some cases creeping up and some numbers that we do not want to see at this point in time,” the minister implored.
Speaking during a donation of 924,000 medical masks to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean by the Federal Republic of Germany, Bostic added that while the National Vaccination Programme was doing “quite well” with regard to the administering of first and second doses, the non-pharmaceutical interventions, such as mask-wearing, sanitising and physical distancing, were the “bedrock” and foundation that would keep people safe.
He also used the occasion to urge those persons who had not yet been vaccinated to do so. The health minister said once the vaccines were available, the government would continue to vaccinate those who were desirous of being inoculated.
Source-CMC
Soaring prices for secondhand vehicles helps push U.S. inflation to highest in more than a decade.
The record-breaking rise in used-car prices is probably coming to an end -- and with it a key driver of the recent spike in U.S. inflation.
The bellwether of the industry -- the wholesale market where dealers buy and sell in bulk -- has already topped out and prices of individual secondhand cars should follow in a matter of weeks, said Zo Rahim, industry analyst at Cox Automotive. Cox owns Manheim, the biggest U.S. auction house selling millions of vehicles every year.
Soaring prices for secondhand vehicles have helped push U.S. inflation to the highest in more than a decade. The cost of used cars and trucks climbed 10 percent in April, and another 7.3 percent in May when they were responsible for one-third of the overall rise in consumer prices.
All kinds of pandemic-driven shifts in supply and demand have contributed to the run-up. But there are signs that it may be peaking -- bolstering the Federal Reserve’s argument that the spike in inflation, as the COVID-19 pandemic eases and the economy reopens, will turn out to be largely transitory.
“Wholesale prices as of right now are at their peak and should start to come down,” Rahim said. “We are seeing a decelerating pace of price increases in the first two weeks of June, compared to what has been just an absolute surge.”
Prices for individual vehicles typically track the wholesale market, but with a lag, he said. That likely means “a few more weeks of retail prices increasing, before they start to follow suit.”
Manheim’s wholesale index of used-vehicle value was 36 percent higher than a year earlier as of mid-June –- down from an annual rate above 50 percent in April. One effect of higher prices has been to push the average age of vehicles on U.S. roads up to a record 12.1 years in January.
The volatile U.S. auto market was cited by Fed Chair Jerome Powell in a House hearing on Tuesday to help explain the outlook for consumer prices.
“A pretty substantial part, or perhaps all of the overshoot in inflation comes from categories that are directly affected by the re-opening of the economy, such as used cars and trucks,” Powell said. “Those are things that we would look to stop going up, and ultimately to start to decline.”
He added a cautionary note: “These effects have been larger than we expected and they may turn out to be more persistent than we expected.”
The jump in used-car prices has a variety of causes. Some are unique to the auto industry, and others are playing out across the economy. Some result from pandemic trends that are already fading, and others from shifts in behavior that could take longer to return to pre-COVID norms –- if they ever do.
Source-Auto News
Caribbean Airlines downsizes due to COVID-19 losses
Regional carrier Caribbean Airlines Limited (CAL) in its first quarter performance this year reported US$25.7 million or TT$172.7 million in losses — a 75 per cent downturn in revenues when compared to the corresponding period of last year.
Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus pandemic last year, the airline has had to deal with severe financial fallouts which saw it incurring operating losses of over US$109 million. This, as the global travel industry continues to deal with additional pressure from imposed travel restrictions along with the ongoing restriction of operations at its Trinidad base.
“The announcement that the borders of Trinidad and Tobago may soon reopen is welcome news, but all forecast suggest that the recommencement of travel will not be in the same volumes as they were pre-COVID. Therefore, until air travel regains its pre-COVID momentum the airline will need to adjust its operations to cater for a reduced scale of demand after the opening of the borders,” CAL said in a news release this week.
The airline said that despite the impending reopening of borders, it does not expect passenger demand over the short term to recover sufficiently in order to support existing structures. Consequently, the company in a series of cost containment and strategic restructuring objective is moving to make its operation more viable and efficient. Among the measures cited by the entity are significant reductions to its human resources complement.
“In terms of employees, the airline has determined that 25 per cent of its workforce or about 450 positions throughout its network is surplus to its current needs. The company will embark on consultation with the employees and other stakeholders, with respect to treating with this surplus labour situation,” the release stated.
In an earlier attempt to save jobs and reduce its salary bill also, the company took steps which saw some of its employees being sent on no-pay leave, while some got salary cuts and another set laid off.
Outside of staff retrenchment, the company is also seeking to scale down some of its general airline operations, fleet size, assets and route networks. “As part of the streamlining strategy, the number of jets in the fleet will be reduced, for the time being, over the course of 2021. Its route network will also be adjusted to reflect the changing market.”The company's CEO, Garvin Medera, assured customers that the changes would not significantly affect the quality of service, safety and customer service to be provided.
Source- CMC
Microsoft unveils Windows 11 operating system
Microsoft has unveiled Windows 11, its "next generation" operating system, at a virtual event.
The new software will let Android apps run on the Windows desktop.
Product manager Panos Panay promised smaller, faster security updates - a common complaint for Windows users - and said they would happen in the background.
Windows 11 will also let users configure multiple desktops for work, home, and gaming, like on a Mac.
Microsoft says there are currently about 1.3 billion devices running Windows 10.
An early preview version of the new system will be released for app developers next week.
Windows 11 will be available as a free update to existing Windows 10 users - although some devices will not have the right specifications. These include a minimum of 64 gigabytes of storage and gigabytes of RAM.
One cosmetic change is putting the "Start" button at the bottom-centre of the screen rather than left-hand side.
In addition, Windows 11 will feature tighter integration with Microsoft's communications platform Teams. Xbox Games Pass, a subscription service offering access to hundreds of games, will also be pre-installed.
The tech giant said it would share more profits from its app store with creators and developers - as rival Apple continues to face challenges over its business model.
When Windows 10 launched in 2015, Microsoft said it would be the final version of the operating system. It has since announced Windows 10 will be retired in 2025.
Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella described the launch as "a major milestone in the history of Windows", but analyst Geoff Blaber from CCS Insight said he did not consider it to be "a revolutionary step".
"Windows 11 is an iterative release that pinpoints where Windows needs greater ambition, rather than introducing the sweeping changes seen with its predecessor," he said.
"The end game for Microsoft is ensuring that the step up from Windows 10 to Windows 11 provides significant enough improvements to offset any complaints."
Forrester's principal analyst JP Gownder noted that the new operating system was based on the code of Windows 10, which should prevent upgrade glitches such as those seen in the past with Windows Vista.
"These user-friendly nods to the past are a double-edged sword, though," he added.
"They're great for continuity of experience, but they make you wonder what the 11 really stands for. Is this really more of an admittedly feature-rich Windows 10 update than a full-version release."
Source-BBC
Miami building collapse with 51unaccounted for
One person has died and 51 others are unaccounted for after the collapse overnight of a 12-storey residential building north of Miami, Florida, officials say.
Rescuers are combing the rubble in the search for survivors and were seen pulling a boy out alive.
It is unclear how many people were in the building at the time.
The complex in the town of Surfside was built in 1980. Out of 130 units, about half were affected by the collapse.
Fifty-one people believed to have been living in the building have not yet been contacted, County Commissioner José Díaz said.
Rescuers pulled 35 people from the wreckage, officials said. Ten were assessed and treated, of whom two were sent to hospital.
"The back of the building, probably a third or more, is totally pancaked," Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett told a news conference.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said he would travel to South Florida later on Thursday. "We are bracing for some bad news just given the destruction that we're seeing," he warned, saying he thought the quick response from the emergency services had saved lives.
A community centre in Surfside has been turned into a family reunification centre and an information point for concerned relatives.
One man who was out with his brothers walking their dog described hearing the building come down.
"Basically we heard a really big rumble and we thought it was a motorcycle, you know, and we turned around and saw a cloud of dust just coming our way," he told CBS Miami.
"We were like - 'what is going on?' We went rushing toward it with shirts over our faces and the security guard came out and we were, like, 'what happened?' and she said the building collapsed."
A man who witnessed the aftermath of the collapse told CNN, "It looked like something from 9/11," referring to the attacks that brought down the Twin Towers in New York in 2001.
Santo Mejil, 50, was woken when his wife called from a unit on the ninth floor of one of the three buildings that make up Champlain Towers. She is an overnight caretaker for an elderly disabled woman.
"She said she heard a big explosion," Mr Mejil told the Miami Herald. "It felt like an earthquake." His wife was among those rescued.
Source-BBC
Bipartisan Senate negotiators announce infrastructure 'framework' deal
Following multiple hours-long bipartisan Senate meetings with senior White House aides on a traditional infrastructure package, lawmakers said Wednesday that they have reached a "framework" deal and are headed to the White House to meet with President Joe Biden on Thursday.
"We have a framework, and we're going to the White House tomorrow," Republican Senator Mitt Romney told reporters.
"We made significant progress," White House counselor Steve Richetti told ABC News.
Three Senate negotiators -- Republicans Susan Collins of Maine, Ohio's Rob Portman and Montana Democrat Jon Tester -- clarified to reporters that there were still some details to be worked out on how the $1.2 trillion package is to be paid for, though all agreed that a deal was at hand.
When asked if the group of 21 senators had a deal, Portman said, "I wouldn't use exactly those words, but I would say that we're very, very close, and we're going to now do the outreach. It is important to grow the vote from the middle out."
Portman was referencing the crucial sales job now underway with senators outside the group of 21.
The core, bipartisan group of 10 senators - five Democrat, five Republican - has been at this effort for a month.
Senior White House aides now must show the president the final numbers.
Source-ABC
Vin Diesel confirms Cardi B will be involved in F10 & talks about Dwayne Johnson
Cardi B's character, Leysa, will stick around for at least one more Fast and Furious movie, confirms series star Vin Diesel.
In a new interview with Entertainment Tonight, the actor explained how Cardi's character Leysa's story will continue in F10 and why Cardi B will help bring the long-running action franchise to a satisfying conclusion.
"We are very much excited to evolve her character and to expand it to the finale," said Diesel, 53. "She came in Fast 9 just in time."
The Fast franchise is slated to wrap with its eleventh film, F11, of which Diesel teased, "You know, like I said, the finale's coming and F9 starts to align everything perfectly for the greatest finale in cinematic history."
Current director Justin Lin also raved about the "Up" rapper and how the franchise benefited from her involvement. Explaining that Cardi is now a "part of the family," Lin explained that her character will answer a lot of questions that have persisted through the franchise.
"I love how when I got together with her, her and Vin were talking about the character because she's actually really embedded into the overall universe," Lin hinted. "She's been around for a long time and this is just the first time we are seeing her, so I'm really excited to explore that character of her."
The Grammy-winning rapper said she's proud to be playing Leysa, telling ET in a prior interview, "I like the fact that I’m representing such a powerful, strong woman."
Meanwhile, Vin Diesel had a much-publicized feud with his Fast & Furious co-star Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson back in 2016 we are learning, -- something Diesel now chalks up to what he calls a little "tough love."
Johnson, who debuted his Luke Hobbs character in 2011's Fast Five, referred to some of his male co-stars as "candy **** and "unprofessional" on Instagram back then, which fans quickly speculated was about Diesel.
"It was a tough character to embody, the Hobbs character," Diesel says in a new interview with Men's Health.
"My approach at the time was a lot of tough love to assist in getting that performance where it needed to be," he explains. "As a producer to say, 'Okay, we’re going to take Dwayne Johnson, who's associated with wrestling, and we're going to force this cinematic world, audience members, to regard his character as someone that they don't know' -- Hobbs hits you like a ton of bricks. That's something that I'm proud of, that aesthetic."
"That took a lot of work," Diesel continues. "We had to get there and sometimes, at that time, I could give a lot of tough love. Not [Federico] Fellini-esque, but I would do anything I'd have to do in order to get performances in anything I'm producing."
Diesel, 53, and Johnson, 49, addressed the rumors of their on-set feud at the Fate of the Furious premiere back in April 2017.
"Just like, in life, you have different philosophies and people have different fundamental philosophies on how you do things," Johnson told Entertainment Tonight then.
"In my house, he's 'Uncle Dwayne,' and I'm proud of that," said Diesel. "We still love each other, that's my boy."
Johnson doesn't appear in the franchise's latest installment, F9 charges into theaters June 25.