Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson apologises for tweet praising Boris Johnson

He later thanked his British followers for ‘education on the individual I did not know’

Dwayne Johnson has apologised after expressing support on Twitter for a portion of a Boris Johnson speech, and joking about being related to the new British PM.

The Hobbs & Shaw actor joked during an appearance on Good Morning Britain earlier today that the pair were cousins, claiming: “He’s family. You don’t know that, but now all of Britain knows… he’s my cousin. It’s like looking in the mirror, every time I see Boris.”

Struggling to read the room even hours after his early morning interview, Johnson later tweeted the same joke, before adding: “Jokes aside, PM did say something in his speech I liked – ‘the people are our bosses’ 100% agree. The people/audience/consumer will always matter most. #ourboss”.

But after being inundated with criticism from many of his baffled followers, Johnson, as in The Rock, deleted his tweet 15 minutes after it was published, and issued a mea culpa.

“Well according to the people, maybe we’re not related after all,” he tweeted. “Big mahalo to my people who I can always rely on to give me the real talk and swift perspective and education on the individual I did not know. Tequila on me, Britain.”

Johnson is currently on the promotional trail with Jason Statham talking up his Fast & Furious spin-off film Hobbs & Shaw, which is released this week. In the political arena, he has previously teased a future run for US President.