This story was first published in August 2019.

Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson appears to have responded to Tyrese Gibson's latest insults by labelling him a clown.

The WWE superstar is boasting on social media about the financial success of his latest film, Fast and Furious spinoff Hobbs & Shaw - days after Gibson mocked its box office results.

"The best way to shut the mouth of a clown is to flex with success and a smile," Johnson tweeted.

"Thank you everyone for making this an exciting first week of box office for our little spinoff Hobbs & Shaw - number one movie and US$333 million worldwide ain't too shabby."