Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is promoting his latest tentpole “Rampage,” and he isn’t shying away from speaking about his personal battle with depression. The actor shared a message on Twitter on April 2 that read: “We all go through 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.”
Johnson’s message linked to a story from The Express in which he explained how his own depression battle started after seeing his mother attempt suicide when he was only 15 years old. The actor thanked fans for the messages of encouragement in response to the article.
“She got out of the car on the Interstate 65 in Nashville and walked into oncoming traffic,” Johnson said. “Big rigs and cars were swerving out the way. I grabbed her and pulled her back on the gravel shoulder of the road. She has no recollection of it whatsoever. Probably best she doesn’t.”
Johnson previously shared the story of his mother back in February while he was filming the upcoming season of HBO’s “Ballers.” The actor posted on Instagram and said he “got lucky that day” when he was 15 since his mother walked away unharmed. “That ain’t always the case,” Johnson wrote.
“Struggle and pain is real. I was devastated and depressed,” he continued to The Express about his own depression. “I reached a point where I didn’t want to do a thing or go anywhere. I was crying constantly.”
Johnson returns to theaters with the video game adaptation “Rampage,” which opens nationwide April 13.
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