“I love and respect China and Chinese people”: John Cena apologizes for allegedly calling Taiwan a “country” during Fast & Furious 9 press event

John Cena is under fire for allegedly making an error in calling Taiwan a country during the “Fast & Furious 9” virtual press event.

On May 25, the 44-year-old expressed regret for his alleged mistake in a video posted on China-based social media platform Weibo.

The actor posted an apology video directed at Chinese fans on his Weibo account, embracing his alleged mistake and saying he was very sorry for it:

“I must say that now, very importantly, I love and respect China and Chinese people.”

But John Cena did sway away from directly addressing the issue or elaborating on his error.

---

John Cena had called Taiwan “first country to premiere F9”

The controversy over the part-time WWE superstar’s message sparked in early May when the actor took part in the “Fast and Furious 9” promotional event on the island of Taiwan.

While addressing fans, John Cena allegedly called Taiwan the first “country” to experience the film before its worldwide release.

Directed by the Taiwan-born Justin Lin, “Fast and Furious 9” was set to hit theaters on May 19th in the island.

However, the recent rise in COVID-19 cases prompted the decision to postpone its original release, which was a month ahead of its US release.

Vin Diesel at the “The Road to F9” Global Fan Extravaganza (Image via Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)

Earlier on May 18th, the “Fast & Furious 9” cast also engaged in a virtual press event held in the Chinese mainland. John Cena and F9’s main star Vin Diesel attended virtually.

Thanks to the latter, Chinese fans had a reason to be delighted during the F9 press conference.

---

Fast & Furious 9 earns big after releasing in China

The 53-year-old actor made an unprecedented request to Universal Pictures, asking for an early release of the franchise’s ninth installment in the Chinese mainland before its global release.

“Fast & Furious 9” is currently in theaters on the Chinese mainland and premiered on May 21st. As of Tuesday, May 25th, the title has racked up a box office estimate of over $148 million.

It must be noted that F9 has already been released in over eight markets, such as China, Hong Kong, Korea, and the Middle East. The film earned $162 million over the weekend.

But reports reveal a staggering $135 million in earnings comes from China alone.