Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is one of the most recognizable names in pro wrestling and one of the biggest success stories in the industry to date — and he’s one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood, on top of all that.
While he’s stepped away from wrestling, even claiming that he quietly retired in 2019, Johnson made appearances as The Rock on “WWE SmackDown” in September 2023 and “WWE Raw” in early January 2024 before joining the TKO Board of Directors later that month.
He even teased a long-anticipated rivalry with his cousin, dominant Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns.
However, despite all this success, Johnson comes from humble origins, something he’s never been shy to share. Even after his rise to fame, The Rock”was never a stranger to tragedy, and faced many difficulties that could have derailed other careers. In fact, the challenges he’s faced across his life make him one of the most relatable men in both Hollywood and professional wrestling.
As a teenager, he had multiple run ins with the law
Instagram
While he’s reached many heights of success today, Johnson’s childhood was far from ideal. As the son of Rocky Johnson and “Ata” Maivia — adopted daughter of “High Chief” Peter Maivia — The Rock has wrestling in his blood. Rocky Johnson started his career as a boxer but eventually transitioned into pro wrestling, where he first met Peter at Ata Maivia. However, Rocky Johnson was married at the time and had children he also had to provide for, even after he divorced his first wife.
Rocky Johnson’s life as a wrestler left Dwayne and his mother to care for themselves day-to-day in Hawaii. They had to move from place to place, often only staying in one home for a few months at a time. Despite this, they were once evicted from their home, which Johnson recalled in an interview with “The Hollywood Reporter.”
We come home, and there’s a padlock on the door and an eviction notice,” he said. “My mom starts bawling. She just started crying and breaking down. ‘Where are we going to live? What are we going to do?’”
