Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was showered with praise on social media as he opened up about his battle with depression after his mom tried to commit suicide in front of him when he was just 15-years-old.
The 45-year-old insisted “pain is real” as he spoke out about his struggle with mental health in a candid interview with the Daily Express.
Johnson explained, “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.”
The actor went on to discuss the moment his mother Ata tried to end her life months after they were evicted from their apartment.
Johnson continued, “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 suicide attempt is that to this day, she has no recollection of it whatsoever. Probably best she doesn’t.”
Johnson then told the paper that his dreams of becoming a professional football player were shattered after he suffered numerous injuries. The star was let go from the Canadian Football League and went through a tough break-up not long after.
Johnson admitted, “That was my absolute worst time.”
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Not ending the tell-all chat there, the “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” favourite said he could have easily become suicidal like his mother.
However, he insisted: “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.”
Unsurprisingly, Johnson was bombarded with comments on Twitter after the interview emerged online, with the actor responding to some of the people who said they were going through a similar thing.
See some of the response below.
For help and advice on mental health issues contact the Mental Health Helpline.