Chael Sonnen recently offered his take on the recent episode of Joe Rogan’s podcast featuring Dwayne Johnson. This conversation has sparked considerable reactions, with many expressing disappointment over the lack of resolution regarding underlying issues between the two personalities.
The controversy traces back to early 2022 when singer India Arie shared a compilation video of Rogan using the N-word, seemingly prompting Johnson to distance himself from Rogan. Since then, Rogan has reportedly made veiled jabs at Johnson which includes accusations of PED use.
Chael Sonnen said in his recent video that if Rogan had been canceled, someone with Johnson’s stature could have severely impacted Rogan’s reputation and career.
He said: “In that moment, the biggest star in Hollywood, ‘The Rock’ piled on. Joe Rogan was being called amongst the worst things that a man can be called, a racist. They are calling his character into question, and if they succeed in canceling him that would be an interpretation throughout time that he was, in fact, a racist and his character will be diminished forever more. There’s no running it back, there’s no bringing it back later and saying, ‘Hey, we were a little strong on him.’ That’s not the way that works.”
Sonnen also addressed Johnson’s credibility, alleging a history of dishonesty about his lifestyle and practices. He drew parallels between Johnson’s actions and the fallout faced by ‘Liver King’ due to deceit in promoting personal health narratives.
He said: “It wouldn’t be that big of a deal if you weren’t out there telling people about nutrition and telling people about your diet, telling people about your workouts. As soon as you start doing that and trying to influence and motivate and bring people along the journey but you lied to them about the journey, I mean it’s Liver King. You’re Liver King all over again. It’s the exact same thing.”
Despite his strong stance, Sonnen clarified that his critique wasn’t aimed at attacking ‘The Rock.’ He simply believed Johnson’s actions could have severely impacted Rogan’s career and questioned the honesty behind Johnson’s public persona.
Sonnen criticized Johnson for not addressing his past comments on Rogan and accused him of lacking ethical responsibility. He argued that both Johnson and Rogan failed to address important issues and called The Rock a coward for not confronting his previous statements.