It can’t be a good thing for Joe Rogan that he’s lost the public support of one of Hollywood’s biggest stars.
In the wake of a viral video that shows Rogan repeatedly using the N-word on “The Joe Rogan Experience,” Dwayne Johnson said Friday that he’s experienced “a learning moment.” Johnson initially came to Rogan’s defense in the wake of the Spotify controversy stemming from high-profile musical artists boycotting the streaming service, which has exclusive rights to Rogan’s podcast. The artists, beginning with Neil Young, have taken their stance claiming Rogan’s podcast spreads misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccine.
Rogan addressed that controversy in an Instagram video earlier this week, saying “I don’t always get it right. I will do my best to try to balance out these more controversial viewpoints with other people perspectives so we can maybe find a better point of view.”
That got a positive reaction from Johnson, a UFC fan known to attend big events.
“Great stuff here brother,” Johnson commented. “Perfectly articulated. Look forward to coming on one day and breaking out the tequila with you.”
But on Friday, Grammy-winning R&B singer India Arie added fuel to the controversy when she shared a viral compilation video of Rogan using the N-word on his podcast through the years.
That caused an about-face from Johnson, who said he was unaware of the situation before it was brought to his attention by author Don Winslow on Twitter.
Dear @donwinslow
Thank you so much for this
I hear you as well as everyone here 100%
I was not aware of his N word use prior to my comments, but now I've become educated to his complete narrative.
Learning moment for me.Mahalo, brother and have a great & productive weekend.
DJ https://t.co/3mBf85wRoe— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) February 5, 2022
“Dear @donwinslow
“Thank you so much for this
I hear you as well as everyone here 100%
I was not aware of his N word use prior to my comments, but now I’ve become educated to his complete narrative.
Learning moment for me.“Mahalo, brother and have a great & productive weekend. DJ”
Rogan, who serves as the lead commentator on UFC pay-per-views, issued an apology early Saturday morning. He explained the context of why he used the N-word on his show but made no excuses for doing it.
“If a white person says that word, it’s racist and toxic,” Rogan said. “But a Black person can use it, and it can be a punchline, it can be a term of endearment, it can be lyrics to a rap song, it can be a positive affirmation. It’s a very unusual word, but it’s not my word to use. I’m well aware of that now, but for years I used it in that manner. I never used it to be racist because I’m not racist, but whenever you’re in a situation where you have to say ‘I’m not racist,’ you f*cked up. And I clearly have f*cked up.”
Rogan, 56, is expected to be on the call next Saturday at UFC 271 in Houston, although broadcast plans have yet to be finalized.
