John Cena acknowledged that he approached it "the wrong way," reflecting on his earlier criticism of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's transition from professional wrestling to Hollywood.
In the pro wrestling franchise, the actors had a protracted fake rivalry, yet they remained close friends off-screen.
While Johnson, now 51, was transitioning to Hollywood in 2011, Cena started criticising the Black Adam actor in public and questioned whether he cared about the wrestling industry.
Nevertheless, Cena, 46, finally made a comparable career change and went on to star in several big films.
Cena recently admitted that he "100% see[s] and understand[s]" how some would interpret his earlier statements as hypocritical considering his parallel career trajectory during a press conference for WWE's Fastlane event in 2023.
“"went about it the wrong way. I violated his trust and I made allegations about his perspective that I knew nothing about," Cena said. "And deep down, I was a fan. I wanted The Rock back [in WWE]. I wanted to do anything to get The Rock back, but I did it the wrong way."
He apologised for his prior behaviour and admitted that his earlier attitude had not been "respectful."
"So I had to eat a little bit of crow. I had to say ‘I’m sorry and I was wrong,’ because I am sorry and I was wrong, and that’s a very humbling experience. Dwayne is a hell of a guy," Cena added.
"I became who I despised. I see that perspective and I understand it. It was a great learning experience from my mistake with feuding with The Rock."