Dwayne Johnson Opens Up About Difficult Childhood and Parents' Tumultuous Marriage
Dwayne Johnson is sharing details about the difficult marriage of his parents.
The actor from Smashing Machine, 53, spent his childhood immersed in the world of professional wrestling as the son of the late wrestler Rocky Johnson and Ata Johnson, who was also the daughter of Samoan-American wrestler Peter Maivia and his wife, wrestling promoter Lia Maivia.
During an interview with Variety released on Sunday, January 4, Johnson reflected on frequently relocating across the country as a child because of his father’s wrestling career.
“My own mother and father experienced a volatile and turbulent relationship,” he stated. “My father was a professional wrestler during a period when the industry was largely unregulated. There weren't lucrative contracts; it was about earning a paycheck and simply surviving.”
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The professional wrestler turned actor continued, “My father struggled with his addictions and prioritized his career and himself, while my mother remained at home, raising me. She had to sacrifice her own ambitions and support the man she cherished. All she desired was recognition, and she rarely received it.”
“And I grew up observing the gradual deterioration of a relationship when a man confronts his personal struggles. I witnessed their arguments. I heard their arguments, which was even more distressing,” Johnson said.
Johnson’s parents were married from 1978 to 2003, when they divorced. Rocky passed away at the age of 75 from a pulmonary embolism in January 2020.
Johnson recently recounted his own strained relationship with his father prior to Rocky’s death in a recent conversation with Good Charlotte’s Joel Madden on the latter’s “Artist Friendly” podcast.
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“We had a significant disagreement Christmas 2019 … it was upsetting,” he said during a December 2025 episode of Madden’s podcast, according to EWrestlingNews. “One of the most intense arguments we ever had over some trivial matter … and then, about a month later, he died. And we weren’t speaking.”
The Jumanji star mentioned that his father attempted to call him the days before he died, but he didn’t answer the call.
“He phoned me and I didn’t answer … I was at my child’s game. I thought, ‘I’ll call him back.’ And then, a day or two later, he was gone,” he revealed.
Johnson previously honored his father via Instagram when he died in January 2020.
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“I love you,” he wrote alongside a video showcasing highlights from his father’s professional wrestling career. “You overcame racial barriers, became a wrestling legend, and forged your own path through this world. I was the boy in the audience, watching and admiring you, my hero from afar. The boy you raised to always be proud of our heritage and proud of who and what I am. The boy you raised with a demanding approach. The rigorous work. The firm hand. The adoring boy who only wanted to see your best qualities. Who then matured into a man realizing you had other deep, complex sides that needed to be supported and understood. … That’s when my admiration transformed into respect. And my empathy evolved into gratitude.”
He added, “I’m in pain. But we both know it’s just pain and it will subside. Now I’ll carry your strength and work ethic with me, as it’s time to move forward because I have my family to support and work to accomplish. Finally, I want you to find peace, Soulman. Free from pain, free from regret, content and at ease. You lived a very full, very challenging, groundbreaking life and gave it all in the ring. I love you, Dad, and I’ll always be your proud and grateful son. Rest high.”
