Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson lately joined the “Awards Chatter” podcast to debate his performing profession, however was additionally requested in regards to the time he by chance revealed the loss of life of Osama bin Laden — earlier than then-President Barack Obama might announce it himself.
Obama introduced the U.S. operation that killed the mastermind behind 9/11 throughout a televised late-night deal with on Could 1, 2011, from the East Room of the White Home. Johnson occurred to be taught in regards to the information beforehand, nevertheless, and couldn’t preserve quiet.
“Here’s the thing,” Johnson mentioned on the podcast, which was recorded dwell at Chapman College and moderated by The Hollywood Reporter’s Scott Feinberg. “I got a call, and the call was like, ‘Hey, this thing happened.’ And I said, ‘OK, wonderful news.’”
He continued, “And I was told on the call, the president at that time, he’s going to make his speech in 20 minutes or whatever it was. So I said, ‘OK great.’ So 20 minutes goes by, and about the 25th minute, I tweet this.”
The submit had teased, “Just got word that will shock the world – Land of the free…home of the brave DAMN PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!” Whereas it didn’t straight verify the information, it served as affirmation of rabid hypothesis on the time surrounding Obama’s deal with.
“Then I get a second call,” Johnson informed Feinberg. “And the call is, ‘Yeah, the president didn’t go on yet.’ And I went, ‘Oh, shit.’”
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Johnson opted to not identify his supply for the decision and described them as “a friend of a friend.” He informed Moviefone in 2012 that he has “friends in high places,” nevertheless, and that “the individuals who were there” had knowledgeable him.
Obama famously went forward with the deal with.
“Today, at my direction, the United States launched a targeted operation against that compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan,” mentioned Obama. “A small team of Americans carried out the operation with extraordinary courage and capability. No Americans were harmed.”
“After a firefight, they killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body,” he continued.
