On the fifth anniversary of his father’s passing, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson took to Instagram to share an emotional reflection on their complicated relationship and his deep regrets that linger after his father’s sudden death.
Rocky Johnson, a trailblazing wrestler, passed away unexpectedly on January 15, 2020. The Rock, 51, revealed that the heartbreak of his loss is compounded by the fact that their relationship was strained in the final days of his father’s life.
“He died suddenly, just like that,” Johnson said, snapping his fingers in a video shared Thursday morning. “And I didn’t get a chance to say goodbye to him. I woke up funky and then I realized, that it was … just hitting me and heavy on my heart.”
Johnson revealed they had a heated argument the day before Christmas Eve, which left them not speaking at the time of his father’s death. “We got into a massive fight on the phone. And we never reconciled. And I regret that. I will always regret that,” he admitted.
The Moana star shared his longing for one more chance to make amends. “I just wish, man, that I could hug him one more time, and kiss him on the cheek, and look him in the eyes and say, ‘We’re good. We’re good.’”
Johnson urged others to take steps to heal their relationships with their fathers before it’s too late.
“What I wanna tell you guys out there, if you still got your dad around, heal that. And reconcile that. Because you don’t want to be in a position like me, where sh*t’s f**ked up, you know you want to talk about it, it’s uncomfortable … but take that leap,” he said.
Johnson’s message struck a chord with his followers, many of whom shared their own stories of reconciliation or regret in the comments. His post read in part:
“5 years ago today, January 15th, 2020, I lost my dad. We weren’t speaking at the time of his sudden passing. Wish I reconciled, but it was too late. What I’d give to have just 5 more minutes to hug him hard, kiss his cheek, and say, ‘I love you and we’re good.’”
He continued: “I know a lot of my guys out there have complicated relationships with your dads—just like I did—and maybe you aren’t communicating because of unresolved stuff. Whatever the issue, I strongly recommend you reconcile it and make it whole. You don’t want to live the alternative where it’s too late, and you wake up one morning and realize you have to write your dad’s eulogy. I don’t want that for you, so go take care of that relationship while you still have your dad around. Give him a call, start with that.”
Johnson ended the post with a tribute to his father, affectionately known as “Soulman,”: “Thanks for the lessons, Soulman, and as you always said, the show must go on.“
Photo Credit: DepositPhotos.com
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