Here's the Truth About Taylor Swift and Adele's Rumored New Song

Rumors circulated that a song between Taylor Swift and Adele is forthcoming—here’s what’s really going on between the two singers and their reported partnership.

Watch: Taylor Swift Shares Sweet Gift From Beyonce After GRAMMYs Win

Are pop icons Taylor Swift and Adele making their fans’ dreams come true with a song from both of them?

Well, unfortunately for those excited about the rumored song circulating per ELLE, a source tells E! News “there is no truth” to the reported collaboration.

People got excited thinking the British singer and the “Fearless” songstress worked together when an alleged song titled “Broken Hearts” on the Society of European Stage Authors and Composers listed Adele Laurie Blue Adkins and Taylor Alison Swift in the credits.

While “Broken Hearts” isn’t in the cards for the singers, there’s still much to look forward to. Despite Taylor not working with Adele, she did release a new collaboration today, July 2.

The Grammy-winning artist put out a new song called “Renegade” with Big Red Machine, a musical partnership between The National‘s Aaron Dessner and Bon Iver‘s Justin Vernon. Taylor co-wrote the song with Aaron.

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Inside Taylor Swift’s Impressive 2020

The duo wrote much of folklore and evermore together, which were Taylor’s sister albums released during the coronavirus pandemic. The star surprise dropped both albums in 2020, with folklore winning the Album of the Year at the 2021 Grammy Awards. 

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She performed a trio of songs from folklore and evermore at the award show alongside Aaron and fellow album collaborator, Jack Antonoff. The three musicians performed “Cardigan,” “Willow” and “August.” The first two tracks were leading singles from the respective albums, while “August” was a fan and Jack’s favorite.

As for Adele? An album from the “Hello” singer is long overdue—her last album was 2015’s 25.

What Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani's Marriage License Reveals About Their Wedding Date

Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani just took a big step in having the wedding of their dreams. Get the details on the marriage license they filed.

Watch: Gwen Stefani & Blake Shelton’s Relationship Timeline

There’s no doubt about it. One of Hollywood’s most beloved couples is preparing to say “I do.”

Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani applied for their marriage license on June 29. According to official documents obtained by E! News, the license was requested in Johnston, Okla. While exact details about the couple’s upcoming wedding remain top secret, the marriage license is good for 10 days after being issued.

Is anyone else thinking a Fourth of July weekend wedding is in our future?

In recent weeks, both Blake and Gwen have dropped hints that wedding plans were underway. During a recent interview with USA Today, the country singer gave fans a glimpse into preparations.

“I want her to do all of that stuff and handle it because it’s going to be great,” Blake told the publication. “She’s in the middle of planning the thing, and she’s always so mindful…of me. She’s like, ‘Hey, I don’t want to just take this thing over.'”

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Celeb Weddings We Can’t Wait For

The “Minimum Wage” singer added, “I think she’s having a blast doing it. I mean, I know she’s having a blast doing it.”

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Back in October 2020, The Voice coaches confirmed on Instagram that they were engaged after nearly five years of dating. Since then, the couple has kept fans guessing as to when they will become husband and wife.

“I think that the guest list will not have a lot of musicians,” Gwen told Late Night host Seth Meyers. “It’s gonna be, like, my mom and my dad and just literally going to be just family, and we are looking forward to that.”

But what about other coaches from The Voice like Adam Levine?

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“I definitely would love to have Adam sing at our wedding, but you know, the thing is, is that I feel like we’re not gonna have a wedding band,” Gwen shared. “I feel like we’re not. I feel like we’re just gonna go with a playlist.”

The lead singer of No Doubt added, “We’re keeping it very simple—really simple. We’re going to make it really fun, but it’s not going to be a big, like—you know, it’s not like the queen and king are getting married or something.”

Prince Harry Shares Heartfelt Message About Fatherhood During Surprise London Appearance

On the eve of Princess Diana’s statue unveiling, Prince Harry shared how parenthood has made him feel even more “in awe of the resilience" shown by families supported by the U.K.'s WellChild charity.

Watch: Prince Harry Honors Mom Princess Diana at the Diana Awards

Prince Harry is continuing to support organizations close to his heart.

On June 30, the Duke of Sussex surprised the recipients of the 2021 WellChild Awards by presenting them with the honors at a private garden party held at Kew Gardens in London.

The event was hosted by WellChild, a national charity in the U.K. that supports children and young people living with serious illnesses so they can be cared for at home versus the hospital when possible. The awards are presented in the following categories: Inspirational Child and Young Person, Young Carer, Inspirational Doctor, Outstanding Health Professional and Volunteer.

According to a press release, Harry congratulated the winners as they received their awards and spoke with them about how the past year and a half has been for them and their families.

Harry was named patron of WellChild 14 years ago and since then, he’s welcomed two children of his own with Meghan Markle: 2-year-old son Archie Harrison and newborn Lilibet “Lili” Diana.

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Meghan Markle & Prince Harry’s Quotes on Parenthood

“Since becoming patron of WellChild in 2007, this organization and the people within it have held an extraordinarily special place in my heart,” Harry said in a statement. “I wasn’t a father at the time, and yet the stories of these children and parents transcended that. I didn’t need to be a dad to feel the impact of this invaluable work. Now as a father of two, I feel all the more connected, inspired and in awe of the resilience of these families, who power through indescribable challenges with the support of WellChild.”

“The health of our children, of all of us, could not have been more on the forefront of our minds during the past year,” he continued. “And, throughout this time, the WellChild community has set an example for how to show up and act with compassion for each other. I could not be prouder to be here, to meet this year’s WellChild Award winners, to thank the nurses and doctors for all they do, and to celebrate these amazing families.”

Antony Thompson/TWM

Ed Sheeran, Ronnie Wood, Amanda Holden, AJ Pritchard, Abby Quinnen and Anne-Marie joined Harry at the socially distant garden party. The Duke of Sussex, who stepped back as a working member of the royal family last year but continues to work with private patronages, traveled from the U.S. to the U.K. on Friday. According to People, he then isolated for five days, per COVID guidance.

On July 1, Harry will join his brother Prince William for the unveiling of a statue of the late Princess Diana in Kensington Palace’s Sunken Garden. As the princes previously announced, “The statue was commissioned to mark the twentieth anniversary of her death and recognize her positive impact in the UK and around the world.” It will be revealed on what would have been her 60th birthday.

On June 28, Harry made a virtual appearance at the Diana Award ceremony and gave an address to the young leaders who were being recognized for their social action and humanitarian work.

“Later this week, my brother and I are recognizing what would have been our mum’s 60th birthday, and she would be so proud of you all for living an authentic life with purpose and with compassion for others,” he said. “Our mum believed that young people have the power to change the world. She believed in your strength because she saw it day in and day out and in the faces of young people exactly like you. She witnessed a boundless enthusiasm and passion, and I too see those same values shine through.”

How Emily Simpson Really Feels About "Shocking" RHOC Cast Shakeup & Heather Dubrow's Return

The Real Housewives of Orange County star Emily Simpson explains why she was "shocked" to learn of Kelly Dodd's departure, and teases what's in store for Heather Dubrow.

Watch: Heather Dubrow Returns to “RHOC” as Kelly, Braunwyn & Elizabeth Exit

Not everyone thought it was time for a The Real Housewives of Orange County cast shakeup.

RHOC star Emily Simpson didn’t expect Kelly Dodd, Braunwyn Windham-Burke and Elizabeth Lyn Vargas to be axed ahead of season 16 of the Bravo reality series. Even though Kelly was “expecting to be fired” for a quite a while due to her controversial comments, Emily exclusively told E! News that the June 15 announcement left her “shocked.” 

“I had no idea that they were going to make that many changes,” Emily told E! News exclusively on Tuesday, June 29 at the Veganic Nail Spa Grand Opening in Costa Mesa, Calif. “There are a lot of times where people or even Andy [Cohen] will say something like a reboot. First of all, I don’t even know what reboot means. Do you mean recast or reboot? So I really, honestly, didn’t think there would be that big of changes. I mean it was a shock, like shocking, shocking. I was shocked so many times in one day. I was traumatized.” 

Emily even joked “I didn’t think I was going to make it” when discussing the “cutthroat” recasting.

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“It bothers me when fans become really critical of the last season because I feel like people aren’t understanding the obstacles that we had to deal with,” Emily explained. “I felt like it was a very odd season. It was short, but it was weird. We don’t normally film for two weeks and then shut down for six months and then have to self-film. That was bizarre…The fact that we even got 14 episodes and that you even got us on camera, it really was a huge feat.” 

Emily will even miss Kelly, who slammed former co-star Braunwyn on social media following the news of their dual firing. “Kelly and I got close over the last three years and we were really good friends, so it’s hard to see someone all the time in like a work situation and then that person isn’t there. That’ll be an adjustment,” Emily admitted.

Tommy Garcia/Bravo, Roy Rochlin/Getty Images

However, the attorney is eager to film season 16 with new stars, including returning cast member Heather Dubrow. “I’m excited about meeting Heather because we have some mutual friends and the only thing I’ve heard about her were good things,” Emily gushed. “I’m excited about their being new girls because I really feel like we need some fresh Orange County faces that have fabulous lives, husbands and careers.”

She’s also looking forward to becoming closer to co-star Gina Kirschenheiter. “We have such a fun, solid friendship,” she beamed. “When we get together, we just have a good time.”

Shannon Beador is also returning for another season.

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Emily is putting her new face forward after receiving a lower facelift (“I just have one chin now”) and an improved jawline.

“When I get all those comments from women that are like, ‘Oh my gosh. You didn’t need plastic surgery. You must have insecurity issues. You really need to work on your inside.’ It’s like, no, I don’t need to work on my inside,” Emily clapped back. “I need to work on my outside because I’m 45 years old, I gained 40 pounds, lost it, and now I have three chins and it bothers me so I did it for myself.” 

(E! and Bravo are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)

Charli and Dixie D'Amelio's Mom and Dad Have This to Say to Haters About Their Parenting

Marc and Heidi D'Amelio discussed their children Charli and Dixie's astronomical rise to fame on TikTok as well as criticisms hurled their way for how they parent their kids.

Watch: TikTok’s Highest Paid Stars: Addison Rae, Charli D’Amelio & More

Heidi and Marc D’Amelio are unapologetic about the way they parent their children, TikTok stars Dixie and Charli D’Amelio.

The teen girls—Charli, 17, and Dixie, 19—became household names for Generation Z and millennials on the social media app in 2019. While the family has become involved in lucrative business deals with Dunkin‘, Hollister and Hulu, at the end of the day, Heidi and Marc are simply parents to their growing kids. 

“We get backlash all the time,” Heidi told Reveal. “Our approach isn’t preachy. It’s just, ‘This is what we did.’ And hopefully people find something to take away.”

“Everybody has to do what’s right for their family, their kids,” Heidi continued. 

Heidi and Marc have both tried to guide their daughters as much as they can about the dangers of social media. 

“We’ve always said that whatever you put out there is out there forever,” Heidi explained. “When people put things on the internet that they shouldn’t, we’ve discussed the consequences. It’s been a conversation since they were young.”

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Behind the Scenes of Charli & Dixie D’Amelio’s Social Tourist Campaign Shoot

They also have discussed how the stars shouldn’t get too caught up in the likes or hate they receive.

Abercrombie & Fitch Co.

“We let them know that as much as the positive things are great, and the negative things are bad, neither should define you,” Marc shared. “When you get the likes, it makes you think you’re better than you are. And the hate makes you feel worse than life could ever be. Remember who you are and where you came from.”

The D’Amelio Show is coming soon to Hulu.

Ed Sheeran Reveals Major Detail About Taylor Swift's ReRecorded Red Album

With five months to go until Taylor Swift drops her updated version of Red, fans are searching for any clues about the re-recorded album. Luckily, Ed Sheeran is spilling secrets.

Watch: Taylor Swift’s Most Memorable Career Moments

Everything has changed—because Ed Sheeran spilled a major secret about Taylor Swift‘s re-recorded Red album.

As Swifties know all too well by now, the superstar singer is set to drop the updated version of her beloved record in November. But as fans eagerly await the album’s release, Sheeran—who collaborated Swift on the 2012 Red track “Everything Has Changed”—just gave everyone another reason to celebrate.

During a June 27 interview on U.K. radio show The Official Big Top 40, Sheeran was asked when he’ll re-record his duet with Swift for Red (Taylor’s Version). His response? “I’ve already done it,” he confirmed with a smile. “I’ve already recorded it.”

Sheeran, who also joined Swift on The Red Tour, went on to tease, “Taylor’s got a few surprises in store for you, I’ll say that.” In fact, fans on social media are pointing out that Sheeran and Swift wrote two songs together for Red, one of which didn’t make the album. So, it’s possible the unreleased track will make this new version of the album, given that it’s set to feature 30 songs.

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30 Fascinating Facts About Taylor Swift

“Musically and lyrically, Red resembled a heartbroken person,” Swift wrote in a June 18 Instagram post. “It was all over the place, a fractured mosaic of feelings that somehow all fit together in the end. Happy, free, confused, lonely, devastated, euphoric, wild, and tortured by memories past. Like trying on pieces of a new life, I went into the studio and experimented with different sounds and collaborators.”

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Over time, Swift noted, a part of her was healed from the heartbreak. “Sometimes you need to talk it over (over and over and over) for it to ever really be… over,” she continued. “Like your friend who calls you in the middle of the night going on and on about their ex, I just couldn’t stop writing. This will be the first time you hear all 30 songs that were meant to go on Red.”

The 31-year-old singer—whose battle over the rights to her album masters inspired her re-recordings—also teased one of the tracks will be “ten minutes long,” an apparent reference to the unreleased version of her hit song “All Too Well.”

Larry Busacca/BMA2015/Getty Images for dcp

Take a look at the video above to see Sheeran dish on Red and more!

Red (Taylor’s Version) is set for release on November 19.

Liam Neeson Reveals "Dear, Departed Wife" Natasha Richardson’s Ultimatum About James Bond Role

Parent Trap actress Natasha Richardson said Liam Neeson couldn’t play the role of James Bond, so this is how the actor repaid his late wife.

Taken actor Liam Neeson could’ve been James Bond, if his late wife Natasha Richardson didn’t have a say in it.

“I know they were looking at various actors and I apparently was among them,” Liam revealed on The Late Late Show with James Corden on Thursday, June 23. “However, my dear, departed wife did say to me…’Darling, if you’re offered James Bond and you’re going to play it, you’re not going to marry me.'”

Liam and Natasha first met in 1993 when they co-starred on Broadway’s Anna Christie. Both actors were nominated for the Best Actor and Best Actress Tony Awards for their work. The duo ended up getting married one year later, and had two children together: Micheál, 26, and Daniel, 24.

Natasha tragically died in 2009 after a skiing accident, and Micheál has had a difficult time with his grief.

“I think the pain was a little too overwhelming,” he told Vanity Fair in July 2020.”I think the mind is very powerful, and subconsciously, or unconsciously, it can protect you. That’s what it did when she passed. I just pushed it aside and didn’t want to deal with it.”

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“I don’t, even still, think that I’ve fully comprehended it, and that seems to be a similar journey to a lot of people I’ve spoken to,” he recalled. “Fifty-year-olds who lost their parents when they were 12, 13…One day they’re out gardening, and something comes over them and they just break down.”

Yui Mok – PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images

Micheál greatly looked up to his mother.

“That’s more or less what she was like,” he said, comparing her to her Parent Trap role. “She was this sweet, amazing mother figure—my best friend. She had these amazing, big welcomes when we’d come home or she would come home.”

“I’m so lucky because I have her captured on film,” he expressed.

How Taraji P. Henson Feels About Following in Carol Burnett's Footsteps for NBC's Annie Live!

Actress Taraji P. Henson opens up about playing Miss Hannigan in Annie Live! and if she's talked to legend Carol Burnett about the role. Plus, scoop on hosting this Sunday's BET Awards.

Watch: Taraji P. Henson Is Ready for BET Awards & “Thot Girl Summer”

Taraji P. Henson has some “big shoes to fill.”

The Oscar nominee is opening up about landing the iconic role of Miss Hannigan in NBC’s upcoming TV musical Annie Live!. The role of Miss Hannigan was first made famous on film by the legendary Carol Burnett in 1982’s Annie.

So, has Henson reached out to the comedy legend for advice on playing the hilariously awful orphanage villain?

“I have actually already sent her a letter because I love her so much,” the Empire star told E! News’ Nina Parker today on the June 25 episode of Daily Pop. “I grew up in the hood, but I watched Carol Burnett. I didn’t miss the show. I have big shoes to fill. I totally have the talent to make it my own but with so much respect for her.”

Henson also opened up about her role hosting the 2021 BET Awards this weekend and what the gig means to her.

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Taraji P. Henson’s Best Looks

“Black women have done so much in changing history,” Henson gushed. “I mean, Stacey Abrams, Kamala Harris, Beyoncé, the most awarded artist ever. We just out there doing things, big things, things that are going to keep history on the right side. So I think they picked the right host for this thing. I got goosebumps.”

And expect some major fashion moments from Henson. She added that her stylist has “got me squeezing in dresses already.”

Getty Images; Shutterstock

Check out our full interview with Henson above to hear her thoughts on Megan Thee Stallion‘s “Thot Girl Summer.”

The BET Awards air live on BET this Sunday, June 27 at 8 p.m. And start getting excited for NBC’s Annie Live! coming to TV this December!

(E! and NBC are both part of the NBCUniversal family)

 

These 20 Secrets About The Fast and the Furious Will Take You That First Quarter Mile

For the original 2001 film's 20th anniversary and just in time for the premiere of F9, we looked under the hood of The Fast and the Furious to find out what made it go vroom.

Zumapress; Shutterstock; iStock/E! Illustration

Twenty years ago, a simple movie about an undercover cop trying to take down a band of illegal-street-car-racing thieves eased into theaters.

It zoomed away with more than $207 million.

The Fast and the Furious, made for the relatively low sticker price of $38 million, was the sleeper hit of the summer of 2001, an action romp that automatically appealed to gearheads but ended up offering something for everyone and spawning a $6 billion-and-counting franchise, with F9: The Fast Saga finally opening June 25.

Anchored by the core quartet of Paul Walker as LAPD detective Brian O’Conner; Vin Diesel as Dominic Toretto, the outlaw leader who lives life a quarter mile at a time; Michelle Rodriguez as Letty, Dom’s ride or die; and Jordana Brewster as Mia, Dom’s sister and Brian’s crush, TFATF is both a heist flick and a love story—largely between dudes and their cars, but also about the fierce bond among loyal friends. And, sometimes, there is actual romance.   

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The Fast & Furious Cast Through the Years

While the series has become increasingly more stunt-driven, the stars now Marvel-esque in their feats of automotive derring-do while flow charts are helpful for keeping the growing cast of characters, locations and plot points straight (not to mention the timeline of the action, which is all over the map), it started with the simple premise of the original: Ambitious cop meets career outlaw with a conscience, conflict ensues and trust hangs in the balance, but at the end of the day it’s all about family.

And there’s always time for an argument over whose engine is bigger. 

Slick yet old-fashioned, exhilarating and delectably corny in all the right places, The Fast and the Furious may have been unassuming as far as foundations for a franchise go, but it set the table for everything to come. 

So in honor of the blockbuster’s 20th anniversary and just in time for the release of the latest model, we checked under the hood of the classic ride and found out what made it go vroom:

Universal Pictures

1. The film was inspired by the 1998 Vibe article “Racer X,” by Kenneth Li, about illegal street racing in New York. Universal executive Kevin Misher happened to read it and showed it to Rob Cohen, the director recalled to Reach Further in 2018.

“As a guy with a degree in anthropology, any time I see a tribal, secret world, my ears perk up because that’s where some very interesting stuff can be illuminated for movies,” Cohen said. “I found this young guy—[former racer and all-around auto expert] R.J. de Vera—who, for various reasons, was open to taking me out. That night, with the police coming and everybody gathering, became Paul Walker‘s first night in the street-racing scene in The Fast and the Furious.” 

Universal Pictures

2. De Vera served as a technical advisor on the film and played driver Danny in the big drag race sequence, Brian O’Conner’s introduction to that fast, furious world.

 

Toni Anne Barson Archive/WireImage

3. Cohen had previously directed Walker in the Ivy League secret society thriller The Skulls, during which producer Neal Moritz had asked the actor what he wanted to do next. “To be honest with you, I always liked the idea of playing a cop,” Walker recalled telling him in a 2001 interview with E! News. “Within three months he came to me with this idea,” saying, “‘Look, this is it. We want to do something about modern-day drag-racing, and we think it would be great if you would play an undercover cop. You get to race cars and you get to make out with Jordana Brewster.'”

He was ready to sign on before they even had a script, Walker said, though his team cautioned him that perhaps that wasn’t the best idea. “My mind was telling me ‘don’t’ but my heart was telling me ‘go for it,’ and I’m glad I did,” he said with a smile.

Asked if it was as much fun to make as he expected it to be, he replied, “Probably more so.”

Moviestore/Shutterstock

4. Vin Diesel‘s Pitch Black was about to be released by what is now Universal’s Focus Features, and the film caught Moritz’s eye, leading to the beefy New Yorker being offered the part of Dominic Toretto.

On Entertainment Weekly‘s Binge series in April, Diesel recalled being instantly sold on the character—”tough guy, outlaw, with a heart and a code”—and the film when they described the now-iconic tracking shot that starts with Dom’s arm as he shifts into gear before zipping into the core of his engine and out through the back of the car as he he takes off in the first race. That thrilled him, but the script, when he first read it… not so much.

It was “not what I thought it would be,” he admitted. So, they asked him to meet with newly hired screenwriter David Ayer and they did a “page-by-page critique-slash-rewrite” of the existing material.

Calling the Suicide Squad director’s first draft “very poetic and, as typical, gritty and dark,” Cohen told Reach Further, “Another draft or two, and then it started to find its form, which is a combination of David Ayer’s street poetry and my action bent and love of cars, mechanics, and garages—things that I grew up doing.” (The screenplay was ultimately credited to story creator Gary F. Thompson, Erik Bergquist and Ayer.)

Universal/Getty Images

5. Born and raised in Southern California, where car culture reigns supreme and his grandfather owned a garage and was “king of the track” in his day, Walker was the self-described gearhead of the bunch. The actor, already the owner of a 1967 Chevy II Nova Super Sport and a 1966 Buick Skylark Gran Sport, had always been into American-made cars (“domestics,” he called them), but after getting a taste of the Nissan Skyline R33 in the movie, he bought his own, imported from Japan.

“I was never really into this whole import car scene,” he explained to E! News in 2001, “until actually I got more involved with the film. I was pretty hip to what it was about, you know I understand turbos…intake, exhaust, cutting out the air box, putting in an air filter—I know all the lingo, I know what it’s about.” Still, he added, “It wasn’t really my cup of tea, but I’m getting into it. After driving a few of them, I was like [nodding his head], ‘Alright.'”

But his own shiny new Nissan was not fluorescent-anything. “Mine’s more low-profile,” he said with a smile. “I race it out in Palmdale a lot.” 

However, when he got to racing school in Las Vegas, where he and his co-stars trained, he said in the film’s production notes, “I learned just how little I actually knew about driving.”

Universal Pictures

6. As for Dominic Toretto’s unbridled passion for cars, that was pure performance on Diesel’s part. “I’m a New Yorker, and I don’t think you can live in New York and be a car guy,” the actor told Entertainment Weekly in 2001.

However, in the production notes, he said, “Cars and the idea of speed have always fascinated me. I had a GSX-R that we’d drive at incredible speeds on the Belt Parkway and every direction out of Manhattan when I was in college. I was younger and more foolish then—and in love with the liberty that speed can give you. But now I’m an SUV kind of guy. “

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

7. Jordana Brewster wasn’t exactly an automotive enthusiast when she was cast as Mia Toretto, Dom’s sister and the reason Brian shows up at the bodega every day to order a crappy tuna sandwich. 

In fact, the 20-year-old didn’t even have a license. Her learner’s permit had been burning a hole in her wallet for three years “’cause I was just petrified of driving,” the actress, who like Diesel grew up in New York, admitted in a 2001 interview.

But she took lessons in NYC and passed her test the day before she was due to leave for L.A. Still, she volunteered to let someone else take the wheel for all of Mia’s hard-core driving, but the stunt coordinator took her to a big, empty, hosed-down parking lot so she could practice. “By the end of the day, I was peeling out, doing donuts and 360s,” she recalled, “and it was all good.”

So she had quite the journey.

“That really does blow me away, actually, now that I think about it,” Walker marveled to E! News about his onscreen love barely knowing how to drive in the beginning. “But no, she did a great job…She downplays it to this day, but I like to think she really had a good time.”

Perhaps, but Brewster told Entertainment Weekly in 2001, “I don’t like risking my life that much. My fastest street speed is 65 miles per hour.”

Michelle Rodriguez, however, was bummed that she only got to do so much driving herself before the stunt doubles took over. “I was kind of disappointed,” she told EW. “I only had one day of racing school. It was sickening in this beautiful way. It pissed me off I wasn’t allowed to go more than 80 miles per hour. I can do that on the freeway, you know?”

Universal Pictures

8. Rodriguez also wasn’t thrilled with the initial role of Letty Ortiz, which had her as more of a one-note sexy Latina girlfriend and involved a love triangle between her, Dom and Brian.

“It was a reality check for them to realize that the streets don’t work like that,” Rodriguez told EW for a 2021 oral history of the film. “You don’t just get with a guy because he’s hot. There’s a hierarchy there. Can that hot guy get beat up by who you’re dating? If he can, then you don’t date him, because why would you want to lose the hierarchy? In order to keep it real, I had to school them: ‘I know you guys like Hollywood and all that, but if you want it to be realistic, this is how it really works, and I’m not going to be a slut in front of millions of people, so you’re going to lose me if you don’t change this.’ And they figured it out.”

As Brewster recalled it appreciatively, “When Michelle read her role, she was like, ‘No, I’m not playing that.’ And then she changed it completely. It went from a trophy girlfriend to this really layered character.”

Walker told E! News of his co-star, who was appearing in only her second movie ever after her breakout in Girlfight, “Michelle Rodriguez probably plays one of the toughest characters you’ve ever seen in a movie. From knocking out a guy to some of those driving sequences, she’s just a tough, really cool character.”

Reflecting on the input she’d had in the franchise over the years, Rodriguez told Entertainment Weekly in 2017, “At the end of the day, the only leverage I have as an individual is my participation. That’s the only leverage I ever use with anything. It’s like, look, this doesn’t agree with my ethics, morals. My heart doesn’t feel right doing this in front of millions of people, so I can always oblige myself and depart because money, to me, isn’t as important as my lines that you’re not allowed to cross.”

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9. Walker and Diesel went to an illegal race to better immerse themselves in the world of Dom and his fellow speed demons—and found themselves having to hightail it out of there when police helicopters showed up to disperse the crowd. “It was awesome,” Walker said with a smile in a 2013 Q&A sit-down for Moviefone ahead of the release of The Fast and Furious 6.

On EW‘s Binge Diesel recalled, “Paul grew up in L.A. and was accustomed to that, and I wasn’t, so I remember when the helicopters came, I was like, ‘Well which way do you run?!'” Luckily, a friendly law-flouting racer offered them a ride away from the action.

Meanwhile, the crowd at the race where Brian is treated to what he’s in for going up against Dom—”You almost had me?”—is full of actual illegal street racers. “They were feeding with such authentic energy that it made it so much easier for Paul and I to delve into the scene and really rip it apart,” Diesel said. “We were lucky.”

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10. That’s director Rob Cohen as the Pizza Hut delivery guy who’s ticked off to see his route blocked by all the hooligans. “Damn street racers,” he grumbles.

Moviestore/Shutterstock

11. During some of the most heart-racing scenes, the cars might not have even been moving. “I told them, ‘Sometimes you’re going to be in front of green screen and going no miles an hour,'” Cohen told EW in 2001. “And then you still might feel stupid going 50 miles per hour, but when the film comes out, it’ll look like light speed.”‘

Stunt coordinator and second-unit director Mic Rodgers crafted what came to be known on set as the “Mic Rig,” a truck with the cab chopped off so that they could mount the body of a car (with the chassis removed) in the bed in order to give the illusion that the car was speeding along with one of the actors behind the wheel. A professional stunt driver would then steer the truck while the actors hung on for the ride.

Bob Marshak/Original/Kobal/Shutterstock

12. “I didn’t know just how much they were actually going to let me do [behind the wheel],” Walker told E! News. Ultimately, “they let me do a lot of it. Towards the end of the film and the climax, that was actually me…doing about 80 miles an hour before I jumped to the truck. That was Matt Schulze [who played Vince] and I, dangling on the semi-truck going down the highway at like 80, 90 miles an hour. The only other way to do it would have been green screen, but Rob wanted it to look real.”

“I like to mix it up,” the Varsity Blues and Pleasantville actor said of doing his own stunts, noting that some actors get a “prima donna” reputation for a reason and that’s not how he rolls. Being willing to get dirty and beat up a little bit “makes you one of the boys,” he reflected.

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13. But Diesel and Walker were nowhere near a moving train when they shot their climactic final race against each other. Rather, the footage was spliced together to make it look as if the train narrowly missed their cars.

Still, each film in the series ever after had to include an explicit message in the credits warning people not to try these car stunts at home or…anywhere at all.

Universal/Getty Images

14. The storied bromance between Walker and Diesel that became part of the Fast Family lore was not a given. At first, neither was sure about the other and some of their characters’ confrontations—such as when Brian is outed as a cop and Dom stares him down while a member of his crew holds a shotgun to Brian’s head—got pretty intense. Like, for real. 

“That was pretty heated…We got into it and we both, for some reason, insecurities were kicking in, we weren’t too comfortable with the way it was playing out,” Walker told E! News. “Rob stepped up like a good director should and he was like, ‘Look, I don’t know what you guys are chirping about, this is perfect, just play it out as you have been and I guarantee you the shots are gonna be good.'”

“Rob was right, I think it played pretty well,” he concluded. “It’s one of my favorite scenes in the movie, actually.”

Diesel said they got along from the beginning but also acknowledged an East Coast-West Coast standoff vibe between them at first, recalling to Binge how at the time the world was still processing the deaths of Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls, thought to be casualties of hip-hop’s geographical rivalry.

“If you can remember where you are, 1999, this is not common for a New Yorker and a West Coast [guy] to kind of find common ground,” he explained, “which in some ways lends itself to each character’s journey in the relationship and the objective of finding that brotherhood.”

Universal/Getty Images

15. “Sitting around on set you got to mix it up, you got to keep it fun,” Walker explained when asked about Brewster’s claim that he and Diesel were quite the pranksters on set. So if there happened to be a camera lying around, “my favorite thing is, you know, you’ve got to take a photo of something semi-obscene, maybe someone’s bare butt or something like that…So when they go to develop their film, there’s a bare ass.”

And that, friends, is why in this day and age you don’t leave your phone unattended.

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16. Ja Rule had a cameo as Edwin, a fellow racer who greets Brian at the scene when he first challenges Dom, and the “Furious” rapper has several songs on the soundtrack—but he turned down a chance to play a much bigger role in the franchise.

When Diesel passed on the sequel, the rapper followed suit, telling MTV News in 2002, “He hollered at me ’cause they still wanted me to do the film and they bumped up my role as a starring role and everything. And you know, we talked about it. I just felt it wasn’t the best move for me as far as what I want to do in Hollywood right now. I’m really trying to do this acting thing very seriously. And you know, sometimes every move is not the right move.”

It was the right move for Ludacris, whose character Tej was created to fill that Ja Rule-shaped hole, according to 2 Fast 2 Furious director John Singleton. The late filmmaker told Grantland in 2015 of Ja, “He turned down a half a million dollars. He got 15 grand to be in the first movie. He was really big at that time. I guess Murder Inc. was throwing out hits and were making money hand over foot. He was acting like he was too big to be in the sequel. He wouldn’t return calls. I went to the studio to go see him—that’s just my mantra, I deal with a lot of music people. He was kinda playing me to the side and I was like, ‘What? What is this s–t?’ This was all initiated by me. I then made a call. I called Ludacris. I said, ‘Hey, Luda, I haven’t met you before, but I like what you’re doing right now.'”

Singleton said he and Ja (who didn’t return Grantland’s calls, either) laughed about it a year later when they ran into each other at the Source Awards. “I took him under my arm and said, ‘Man, when I call you, you listen. I ain’t calling you for no bulls–t,'” the director recalled. “He said, ‘Yeah, man, I’m sorry about that.’ He apologized. I love Ja. I still think Ja has a lot of personality and can come back in a different way.”

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17. The humble family abode in Boyle Heights with the street number 1327 whose siren song Dom ultimately can’t resist, no matter how many millions he and his crew make off with, can be found at 724 East Kensington Road in Los Angeles’ Echo Park neighborhood, not far from Dodger Stadium. And the store that stands in for the Toretto family bodega is right down the street.

LMPC via Getty Images

18. The movie, for the entirety of production, was called Redline.

“I wanted to keep Red Line,” Diesel recalled to Binge, “and it was Neal Moritz who called me and said, ‘I got the title.’ Right before we were supposed to open the movie!” The film, originally supposed to come out in March, had also been bumped to the summer—another thing Diesel was disappointed by at the time but later realized was a total blessing.

“We had gone through many titles: Redline, Racer X, Race Wars, Street Wars. They were all cheesy,” Moritz told EW for the oral history. “And I went to watch a documentary on Roger Corman, who I’ve known since I was a kid, and there was a little section on a movie he’d made called The Fast and the Furious. I thought, ‘That’s the title of this movie!'”

Universal Pictures then licensed the title from B-movie master Corman, who wrote and produced the 1954 crime caper of the same name—which involves a wrongfully accused fugitive gunning for the Mexican border in his getaway Jaguar.

Universal Pictures

19. Not that anyone was too concerned as to how Dom and Letty ended up in the Dominican Republic, where the action in 2009’s Fast & Furious (installment No. 4) begins, but to build a bridge from the end of The Fast and the Furious, Diesel wrote (with T.J. Mancini) and directed “Los Bandoleros.” The short film takes the couple to the Caribbean and also introduces Sung Kang‘s Han into the mix.

Or reintroduces, since Kang is a star of 2006’s The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, the third film made though you later find out its action unfolds after the events of Fast & Furious 6.

Yes, you can get a little whiplash riding around with this crew.

Bob Marshak/Original/Kobal/Shutterstock

20. The makers of The Fast and the Furious knew they at least had a fun summer popcorn movie on their hands, but they had to steer around a few skeptics.

“That year, this is the comment I got all the time: ‘You do know Jerry Bruckheimer is making Gone in 60 Seconds don’t you? And Stallone is making Driven?'” Cohen recalled to Reach Further. “‘What chance does your little car movie have against this?’ I go, ‘I don’t know—I’m doing something different.’ That’s all I said, all that year. When it came out, it blew both movies away.”

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And yes, Diesel was famously anti-sequel.

“I was a fan of classics, so Rebel Without a Cause, On the Waterfront, older movies that were classics,” he told EW‘s Binge. “I had seen movies get sequelized and quite often studios would just brand the movies…They weren’t trying to Francis Ford Coppola the movie, they weren’t trying to go the extra level to make sure that you were building off the existing story and the existing characters and having those characters evolve.

“You just simply call it whatever the brand thing is and not evolve the story in an episodic fashion. That’s why I said, ‘Guys, if you do another one, you’ll jeopardize this first one being a classic.'”

But in hindsight, it’s apparent that everything happened for a reason.

Even his altruistic artist dad was questioning his son’s choice back then, Diesel said with a laugh, remembering the reaction to him turning down 2 Fast 2 Furious. “But by doing that you send a message with your actions that you have to continue with integrity,” he explained. “So if I didn’t opt out of being in the second one I never would’ve been able to be in the position to become the producer and have such an incredible role in the thinking. When I did the fourth one [after a surprise cameo in Tokyo Drift], roles had reversed.”

He saw so far into the future of the saga’s mythology, Diesel said, he didn’t hold back on his suggestions, advising the studio that they could save money if they just filmed the fourth and fifth movies at the same time. “And they almost kicked me off the Universal lot,” he said, chuckling, instead reminding him, “‘You’re lucky we’re making a Fast 4!'”

F9 is in theaters and IMAX Friday, June 25.

(E! and Universal Pictures are both members of the NBCUniversal family.)