No one could have imagined that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, the symbol of strength, determination and discipline in Hollywood, would have such a weak moment. During a workout at “Iron Paradise” – his famous personal gym – The Rock suddenly burst into tears in front of the camera, leaving the entire camera crew and fans watching online speechless.
A video that went viral on social media showed The Rock sitting on the floor, his face covered in sweat and tears, saying in sobs:
“I’ve been hiding this for 20 years… just because I’m afraid of losing everything I’ve built.”
That statement shocked millions of fans around the world and made them curious: what could make a man who has faced all difficulties – from football, wrestling to cinema – collapse in the middle of the gym like that?
Then, in a longer post, The Rock admitted that for the past two decades, he has been battling a simmering depression, which he called “the monster in the dark.” He said that behind the bright smile and muscular body is a soul deeply damaged since his mother attempted suicide when he was a child.
“People see me as a hero, but no one knows I was afraid of myself. I was afraid of emotions, afraid of being weak, afraid of losing the image that I had carried for so many years. But today… I am tired.”
That statement caused a series of comments to flood social networks, many people admitted to shedding tears when seeing The Rock cry. One fan wrote:
“If The Rock – the strongest man in the world – dares to cry, then we have the right to be weak too.”
Psychologists quickly jumped in, saying that this was a symbolic moment of removing the mask of “toxic masculinity” in the entertainment industry. The Rock, by publicly shedding tears, sent a strong message: “True strength is not in muscles, but in facing pain.”
A source close to him revealed that after that sharing session, The Rock paused a number of film projects to focus on his mental health. He is currently spending more time with his family, especially his two young daughters – the source of energy that helps him “learn to love himself again.”
This story made the whole world realize: even the “man of steel” can break, and it is in that break that The Rock’s true self truly shines.
