Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson Walked Back His Praise Of Joe Rogan And Said He Wasn’t Aware Of His “N Word Use”

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Last week, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson showed support for Joe Rogan's statement about artists like Neil Young and Joni Mitchell pulling their music from Spotify due to the streaming giant's deal with Rogan.

The Rock holds a glass while posing at a step-and-repeat at the People's Choice Awards
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"Great stuff here brother," Johnson wrote. "Perfectly articulated. Look forward to coming on one day and breaking out the tequila with you." He also included a liquor glass emoji.

The Rock's comment on Rogan's post
@joerogan / Via instagram.com

Two days later, Rogan issued an apology for his repeated use of the n-word on his podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, as Spotify removed over 70 episodes from its service.

Rogan poses for a photo while holding a microphone at a UFC event
Ronald Martinez / Getty Images

As the latest controversy around Rogan was swirling, writer Don Winslow tweeted at Johnson to ask whether his seeming endorsement of the podcast host still stood.

The Rock responded to Winslow by thanking him for reaching out and saying, "I hear you as well as everyone here 100%."

"I was not aware of his N word use prior to my comments," Johnson continued, "but now I've become educated to his complete narrative. Learning moment for me."

Johnson holds an award on stage
Alberto Rodriguez / NBCUniversal / NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

As previously mentioned, Rogan also issued an apology for his usage of the n-word, which he claimed was "taken out of context."

The Spotify page for The Joe Rogan Experience podcast
Mandel Ngan / AFP via Getty Images

"I know that to most people," he said, "there's no context where a white person is ever allowed to say that word, never mind publicly on a podcast, and I agree with that now. I haven't said it in years."

Rogan speaks into a microphone
Carmen Mandato / Getty Images

Read more about the controversies surrounding Joe Rogan's podcast here.