Veteran showbiz reporter Nelson Aspen reveals the rudest star he’s interviewed: ‘It was ridiculous’

Veteran entertainment reporter Nelson Aspen has told the truth about the rudest star he has ever interviewed.

Talking to fellow showbiz reporter Kjersti Flaa about her imperfect talk YouTube series, Nelson, 61, revealed that when it comes to celebrity traits that get him “puck,” it puts him back at the top of the tree.

And the worst offender, according to Nelson, was Fast and Furious actor Vin Diesel.

Nelson revealed that the handsome Hollywood actor, 57, made him wait for several hours on one occasion.

“Last time I told you about tardiness, chronic tardiness, that was a problem with Vin Diesel,” Nelson told Kjersti.

‘It was ridiculous. It wasn’t just having to wait 10 minutes or even an hour, it would be like two hours, five hours, seven hours. I mean, ridiculous.

Nelson added that when Vin finally thanked the reporter with his presence, he used his children Hania, 16, Vincent, 14, and Pauline, nine, as an excuse for his tardiness.

“He pulled out the kid card,” Nelson said. ‘Like, “Oh, I had something to do with my son.”

But Vin’s excuse didn’t convince Nelson, saying the actor could have made a phone call easily enough.

“Why didn’t you call us then instead of making all the teams, all the journalists, wait?” said.

‘That’s money. That’s money Vin Diesel wasn’t paying. That’s the money the studio was paying. And then we’d miss our flights and have to change flights or hotel rooms and things like that.’

Kjersti also had her own Vin Diesel story to tell, claiming that the star also left her waiting for hours while he enjoyed rides at Universal Studios.

‘He arrived about six hours late and then they told us… do you know what he did? He took his children to all the attractions.

Nelson responded by saying that his last interview experience with the Bloodshot star was also marred by lateness, even though it was conducted online.

“The last interview I did with Vin was a Zoom trip,” he revealed.

‘And I said at least he won’t make me wait on a rooftop or in a parking lot or in a hotel lobby, at least I’ll be home.

Nelson added: ‘Even so on Zoom it was two hours. I have to fart in the kitchen.

It wasn’t all negativity, however, as Nelson revealed that the most interview-worthy moment was when he sat down with Lord of the Rings star Viggo Mortensen.

Nelson revealed that he was so captivated by the star that he had trouble formulating his questions.

“I could barely formulate my questions,” Nelson revealed. “He’s not a scary person, he’s a gentleman and he has charisma. I guess maybe he’s used to that.

Nelson, who lives in the United States, was familiar to Australian viewers thanks to his long-running role on Channel Seven’s Sunrise.

However, the veteran reporter announced on air in June 2022 that he was leaving the show, much to the surprise of his co-hosts and viewers.

talking to new idea After his surprise resignation, Nelson pointed to an increased workload during Covid as a deciding factor.

“I had worked over 100 consecutive weeks without a break (because) Covid circumstances had basically turned all of my work into remote/at-home streaming via my phone and Zoom,” Nelson explained.

“It was relentless and for the first time in my life I felt exhausted because there was never a break.”

Nelson had been a fixture on Sunrise for the past two decades, reporting to a series of presenters including Natalie, Samantha Armytage and Melissa Doyle.

He was based in Los Angeles when he first joined the team and remained Sunrise’s “man in Hollywood” even after moving to New York City.

Since leaving Sunrise, Nelson has published numerous books, including 2024’s Dancing Between The Raindrops: The Hollywood Years.

He also co-hosts a podcast called Titanic Talk which is about James Cameron’s iconic 1997 film.