The Rock Distances Himself From Joe Rogan Following Latest Controversy

By Matthew Wilkinson

WWE legend The Rock has publicly taken to social media in order to distance himself from podcast host Joe Rogan. The controversial podcaster has recently had to apologize for sharing dangerous Covid misinformation and anti-vaccine content and promised to bring a more balanced discussion to his show. Several major musicians such as Neil Young and Joni Mitchell have removed their music from Spotify in protest of the platform hosting The Joe Rogan Experience.

The Rock had previously backed Rogan following his apology for that situation. He commented on the Instagram apology, stating "Great stuff here, brother. Perfectly articulated," as he went on to comment about wanting to share a Teremana with him. However, since that time, Rogan has been involved in further controversies.

Footage of Rogan using the N-word have surfaced online. This has led to more pressure being placed on Spotify and Rogan himself. This also led to a lot of people questioning the former WWE Champion for his previous support. The Rock opted to reverse that in an updated statement, making it clear that it was a learning moment for him.

The Rock wrote on Twitter:

"Dead @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 not I've become educated to his complete narrative. Learning moment for me. Mahalo, brother and have a great & productive weekend. DJ"

During the weekend Spotify removed 70 episodes of The Joe Rogan Experience, which was reportedly his own choice. It remains to be seen whether or not the platform will take any further stance following the latest controversy surrounding him.

The Rock often uses his social platform to engage with fans in order to build his brand. He recently spoke with CNN's Chloe Melas in regards to how he handles situations and what rules he sets himself.

"I still have my anchoring guidelines I follow: Be authentic, be real and try to make sure every social post has a quality and meaning behind it," Rock said. "Offering some takeaway for people and being aware about never wasting anyone's time with a b——t post about nothing," Rock revealed. "But I'll tell you, as we navigate our way through Covid's harsh ebbs and flows. I've found myself trying to use a much lighter touch with my words since things on social media are so easily triggering these days, clickbait stuff."

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