Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson Opens Up About His Mother’s Suicide Attempt, His Own Depression

Dwayne (The Rock) Johnson, 45, is recounting a painful incident when he was 15 years old he witnessed his his mother Ata Johnson attempt suicide.

In an interview with The Express, he recalled his mother’s suicide attempt and his own battles with depression. “She got out of the car on Interstate 65 in Nashville and walked into oncoming traffic,” he said. “I grabbed her and pulled her back on the gravel shoulder of the road.”

He said “to this day” his mother doesn’t remember the suicide attempt. “Probably best she doesn’t,” he admited.

The former wrestling champion said he battled depression after being let go by the Canadian Football League after sustaining numerous injuries. Shortly afterwards his girlfriend left him. “That was  my absolute worst time,” he said. He could have become suicidal like his mother if he hadn’t found the inner strength to carry on.

 

“We both healed but we’ve always got to do our best to pay attention when other people are in pain,” Johnson said of his and his mother’s depression. “We have to help them through it and remind them they are not alone.”

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He received multiple responses to the interview and tweeted appreciation to his fans telling those “to not be afraid to open up” and that they’re “not alone.”

 

Got tons of responses to this. Thank you. We all go thru the sludge/shit and depression never discriminates. Took me a long time to realize it but the key is to not be afraid to open up. Especially us dudes have a tendency to keep it in. You’re not alone

https://t.co/ADHjYtGe3k

— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) April 2, 2018