Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson has revealed that he struggles with depression after his split from his first wife, Dany Garcia.
The Black Adam star divorced Garcia, a businesswoman and IFBB professional bodybuilder, in 2007 after ten years of marriage.
The 51-year-old former professional wrestler appeared on The Pivot Podcast and discussed his struggles with mental health and depression that began when he was just a teenager. The Rock was only 15 years old when his mother, Ata Johnson, tried to attempt suicide.
“I left school, but the interesting thing at the time is, I didn’t know what mental health was. I didn’t know what depression was,” he told hosts Rayan, Fred, and Channing. “I just knew I didn’t want to be there.”
The Fast X actor said he first battled with depression when, for some reason, he stopped playing football while in college. And for the second time, the major fight started when he and his ex-wife, Garcia, ended their decade-long marriage.
“I knew what it was at that time and luckily I had some friends that I could lean on and say, “Hey I’m feeling a little wobbly now. I got a little struggle happening,’” the actor said.
“I’ve worked hard over the years to gain the emotional tools to work through any mental pain that may come to test me,” he added, emphasizing that while struggling with depression, it is essential to talk to somebody and seek help.
“As men, we didn’t talk about it. We just kept our head down and worked through it. Not healthy, but it’s all we knew,” he continued. “If you’re going through your own version of mental wellness turning into mental hell-ness, the most important thing you can do is talk to somebody. Having the courage to talk to someone is your superpower.”
This is not the first time the Baywatch star detailed his struggles with depression. In 2018, Dwayne spoke with Britain’s Express for an interview and opened up about his trauma when his mother attempted suicide.
“Struggle and pain is real. I was devastated and depressed. I reached a point where I didn’t want to do a thing or go anywhere. I was crying constantly.”
He was only 15 when his mum, Ata, tried to kill herself by walking on a busy highway in Nashville in the middle of the day. She didn’t get hurt as the cars braked and avoided hitting her.
“I grabbed her and pulled her back on the gravel shoulder of the road,” Johnson wrote about the incident on his Instagram in 2018. “What’s crazy about that suicide attempt is that to this day, she has no recollection of it whatsoever. Probably best she doesn’t.”
“We got lucky that day when I was 15, and that ain’t always the case.”
The Red Notice star tied the knot again in 2019 with Lauren Hashian and welcomed two daughters with her, Tiana Johnson, 7, and Jasmine Johnson, 5. He is also a dad to 21-year-old Simone Garcia Johnson, whom he shares with her ex-wife, Dany Garcia.
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Sources: The Pivot Podcast – Britain’s Express
