“Depression never discriminates”: Dwayne Johnson’s Current Box Office Slump is Nothing Compared to His Battle With Mental Health Issues
Dwayne Johnson did not let his battle against depression get the best of him.
Dwayne Johnson’s career is no doubt one of the most successful ones in Hollywood, but over the recent years, fans saw a dip in his star power after a couple of his projects did not live up to expectations. Take Black Adam and Jungle Cruise, for example. Both huge franchises ended up bombing at the box office.
Dwayne Johnson in Black Adam
With all the wealth that The Rock has earned from his career as a professional wrestler and movie star, this profit loss may not be as damaging to the actor as his battle with mental health issues.
Dwayne Johnson On His Fight Against Depression
In a candid interview with Express, actor Dwayne Johnson opened up about his struggle with depression and his mother’s s**cide attempt.
“I reached a point where I didn’t want to do a thing or go anywhere. I was crying constantly. She got out of the car on Interstate 65 in Nashville and walked into oncoming traffic. I grabbed her and pulled her back on the gravel shoulder of the road. What’s crazy about that s**cide attempt is that to this day, she has no recollection of it whatsoever. Probably best she doesn’t.”
His mother tried to end it all after they got evicted from their apartment due to financial problems. At the same time, Johnson suffered injuries which forced the Canadian Football League to let him go. After that, his then-girlfriend broke up with him. Still, he tried to find the 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. We have to help them through it and remind them they are not alone.”
Dwayne Johnson in Jumanji
His interview with the outlet generated lots of praise from fans, encouraging the Rampage star to write a short note on Twitter.
“Got tons of responses to this. Thank you. We all go thru the sludge/sh*t 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.”
Even though he no longer suffers from financial problems, the actor admitted he still gets bouts of depression from time to time.
Dwayne Johnson’s Advice For People Who Struggle With Mental Health Issues
Dwayne Johnson in Red Notice
On Instagram, Johnson shared a message of encouragement for people who are going through tough times but are terrified to speak up for fear of judgment.
“As men, we didn’t talk about it. We just kept our head down and worked thru it. Not healthy but it’s all we knew. If you’re going thru your own version of mental wellness turning into mental hell-ness, the most important thing you can do is talk to somebody. It can’t be fixed if you keep that pain inside. Having the courage to talk to someone is your superpower. I lost two friends to s**cide. Talk to someone. Despite how you may feel, you’re never alone.”
The Rock is currently in talks to return for Disney’s Moana 2 and will appear in Jake Kasdan’s Red One film.