Khaberni - Fourteen years after the incident, American star Dwayne Johnson "The Rock" revealed the secret behind his knowledge of Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden's death before former President Barack Obama officially announced it to the world.
In 2011, Johnson caused widespread controversy when he posted a cryptic tweet on the "X" platform on the evening of May 1st, writing: "Just received news that will shock the world.. Land of the free, home of the brave, very proud to be an American", just minutes before Obama's historic speech announcing Bin Laden’s death in a special operation in Pakistan.
At the time, the tweet caused a wide wave of controversy, as many wondered how Johnson knew the news before the media and the general public, while the White House had not yet announced any details or even referred to the nature of the expected president's speech.
The tweet then became a topic of discussion on American shows and social media, amid speculations that Johnson had connections or "special sources" inside the security institutions or the government.
During his appearance in a new episode of the Awards Chatter podcast hosted by journalist Scott Feinberg, the 53-year-old Johnson talked about the incident for the first time in detail, explaining that he received a call from "a friend of a friend" who informed him of a "big event", without explicitly stating that it was about Osama Bin Laden.
Johnson said: "A friend called me and mentioned that something big had happened, so I replied: 'Great news..'. He told me that the president would speak in about 20 minutes, so I said okay, and after 25 minutes I tweeted," adding that he later received a second call alerting him that Obama had not yet appeared on the platform, to which he laughed and said: "I thought to myself: Oh dear".
The White House had announced at 9:45 PM Washington time that day that the president would deliver an important speech to the nation, before Obama came out to confirm Bin Laden's killing in an operation conducted by a special American force in Abbottabad, Pakistan.
In earlier statements in 2012, Johnson dodged the question about his source of information regarding the incident, jokingly saying: "If I tell you, I’ll have to kill you.. I have friends in high and low places." He clarified that he had prior knowledge of the president’s speech but got the timing mixed up.
Dwayne Johnson is considered one of the top Hollywood stars today, having transitioned from the world of professional wrestling to acting, with his films grossing over $14.9 billion worldwide, including The Scorpion King and Moana, as well as his latest film The Smashing Machine which critics expect will earn him an Oscar nomination.
