Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson has opened up about his complex relationship with his late father, Rocky Johnson, and shared a particular moment that deeply affected him.
While the actor has been reserved about his relationship with his dad, he has acknowledged that it was intricate and multifaceted.
Dwayne Johnson’s family boasts several generations of notable wrestling figures. As a third-generation wrestler, Johnson is part of the illustrious Anoa’i wrestling family, which includes legends such as Jimmy ‘Superfly’ Snuka, Rikishi, Yokozuna, Roman Reigns, the Usos, and Nia Jax.
Going back further, Johnson’s grandfather, ‘High Chief’ Peter Maivia, held titles in the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) territories before joining the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF), now known as WWE.
Dwayne’s father, ‘Soul Man’ Rocky Johnson, was a wrestling superstar in WWE and was one-half of the first Black world tag team champions alongside Tony Atlas.
Rocky Johnson passed away in January 2020 at the age of 75 from a pulmonary embolism while at home in Lutz, Florida, in a house his son Dwayne had bought for him.
Their life together was often tumultuous, with Rocky frequently absent due to his wrestling career. When he was home, he and Dwayne’s mother sometimes had intense arguments, leading to periods where they lived separately.
The most challenging aspect for Dwayne was having to live full-time with one parent.
He shared with The New York Times: “The worst pain I’ve ever felt…The worst pain I’ve ever felt was when we were evicted from Hawaii and I was sent to Nashville to live with my dad.”
Dwayne, now 53, recalled a significant disagreement with his father over his father’s memoir.
The book included quotes implying that his father played a crucial role in his success.
“It hurts,” he admitted.
The memoir, Soulman: The Rocky Johnson Story, surprised Dwayne, as it falsely claimed he had written the foreword.
“It just completely crossed the line,” Johnson stated. “It goes back to the attention, the narcissism.”
He recounted a major argument in 2019, the most intense since telling his father he wanted to pursue wrestling 25 years earlier.
Rocky Johnson reportedly questioned his son’s potential at that time, asking: “What do you think you possibly have to offer?”
When Dwayne was sent to live with his father, he was instead met by a man named Bob, who took him to a motel where he met Bruno.
He was informed that this would be his new home and discovered his father was living with another woman.
His mother found out about the situation when she drove to see them.
“My heart hurts when I think about that,” Dwayne expressed. “The pain that my mom was driving with: Like ‘What is my life now? That whole time?’”
During this time, he realized he needed to be the man in his mother’s life and once had to prevent her from running into traffic after learning of her husband’s infidelity.
Regarding his father’s memoir, Dwayne said it contained fabrications.
“Growing up with my dad, I know the truth to all these stories. And they’re not in this book. If the truth is blue, this story is red,” he clarified.
He eventually succeeded in having the book removed from stores.
Reflecting on his father, Dwayne remarked: “Wildly enough, my old man was just this amazing friend. Complicated husband. Complicated dad. But an awesome friend to everyone else.”
However, he noted that his father wasn’t his friend, stating: “I wish. I think that my mom was my friend.”