'It's Time For Me To Be Quiet': Paul Walter Hauser Apologizes For Viral Comments About Vin Diesel

Stingray (Paul Walter Hauser) faces a confrontation on Cobra Kai, while Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) takes on a foe in F9
(Image credit: Netflix/Universal Pictures)

Paul Walter Hauser is really staking his claim as one of the most talented actors working in Hollywood today. While he’s been making headlines in recent months for his roles in Orion and the Dark and the recently released Inside Out 2, he drew attention weeks ago for a very different reason. Hauser spoke with CinemaBlend while promoting the aforementioned Pixar film and, during the chat, he called out Vin Diesel for alleged unprofessional behavior. Now, Hauser is speaking out about his viral comments. Not only has he apologized for them but he’s also provided some context for them.

What Did Paul Walter Hauser Say About Vin Diesel?

CinemaBlend’s own Jeff McCobb was able to conduct interviews with the Inside Out 2 cast and, as part of the junket, he spoke with both Paul Walter Hauser and Lewis Black together. While discussing the arc that Hauser’s character –Embarrassment – has, McCobb likened the role to Vin Diesel’s Groot from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Hauser then declared, “Please don’t say that!” He then proceeded to say that he likes “to think I’m on time and approachable.” Hauser went on to add: 

Sorry, I love people, but when I hear stories about Hollywood actors who get paid really well and mistreat people, I out them constantly. And it’s a blast.

As mentioned, the comments that the I, Tonya alum shared with us made waves across the Internet. The actor himself was clearly aware of how many people read his comments, and that might be a reason why he sought to clear the air.

How Did Paul Walter Hauser Respond After His Sentiments Hit The Web?

The Richard Jewell star shared a message, in which CinemaBlend and more were tagged, on his Instagram account in which he addressed the sentiments he shared about the Fast & Furious star. Along with an image that displayed the Bible verse 1 Thessalonians 4:11, the actor dropped a lengthy caption. After reflecting on what transpired during the interview, he then proceeded to provide some context for how he was feeling at that time: 

A few weeks back, I made a random comment about Vin Diesel. It started somewhat humorous, but unraveled into me dogging him out over behavior I had heard about on multiple occasions from multiple sources. I had done a night shoot on a Friday, gotten 1 hour of sleep, and then flew to LA from ATL at 6am to do a full day of press for Inside Out 2. I was exhausted and, in my fatigued state, I shot my mouth off and made a careless, needlessly mean-spirited, comment. That comment was recorded and then went viral.

Paul Walter Hauser went on to say that he is “sorry” for sharing the sentiments and admitted that he does “get riled up by some of the behavior I’ve witnessed, or heard about.” As for “outing” such stars, Hauser acknowledged that doing that “to any extent can feel momentarily satiating.” He also added: 

I no longer feel that way and am genuinely sorry for shooting my mouth off and not showing love to Vin, who I do not know and have never met. It isn’t fair of me to make judgments of that kind, and even if some of those things turned out to be true, it is mean to shout them out and playfully attack someone. … [Vin Diesel] - I apologize. Thank you for entertaining so many people and making them happy. I’m trying to do the same. Time for me to be quiet. I sometimes talk myself into idiocy.

More on Paul Walter Hauser

Amid his address, the Cobra Kai actor mentioned his faith, saying that “as a self-professed Christian, I need to do a better job of loving people and not trying to “right a wrong”, or allow my ego to posture itself with some sort of verbal flex.” Many of us can surely agree that it’s not easy to apologize, and it certainly takes a big person to do it. 

It is worth mentioning that over the past several years there have been rumors regarding Vin Diesel’s alleged conduct on sets. Much of that stemmed from comments made by Dwayne Johnson amid his beef with Diesel. At the time, Johnson went off on his male FF co-stars and, without naming people specifically, he referred to some of them as “candy asses.”
Whether there was definitely validity to the comments that Paul Walter Hauser made about Diesel can’t be said. However, what seems apparent from Hauser’s social media post is that he’s aiming to be more conscientious with his words moving forward. 

You can check out Inside Out – one of the biggest titles on the 2024 movie schedule – as it’s still playing in theaters now.

Erik Swann
Senior Content Producer

Erik Swann is a Senior Content Producer at CinemaBlend. He began working with the publication in 2020 when he was hired as Weekend Editor. Today, he continues to write, edit and handle social media responsibilities over the weekend. On weekdays, he also writes TV and movie-related news and helps out with editing and social media as needed. He graduated from the University of Maryland, where he received a degree in Broadcast Journalism. After shifting into multi-platform journalism, he started working as a freelance writer and editor before joining CB. Covers superheroes, sci-fi, comedy, and almost anything else in film and TV. He eats more pizza than the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.