Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson paid tribute to his late brother while on set of HBO’s Ballers, also sharing that his mother attempted to end her life 30 years ago.
“Not your typical scene on our comedy Ballers, as I cracked a beer open toasting my brother, William who committed suicide,” Johnson, 45, captioned an Instagram photo of a cemetery. “Got me thinkin’ though bout how many of us have been affected by suicide of our friends, family. Struggle and pain is real. We’ve all been there on some level or another.”
“My mom tried to check out when I was 15. She got outta the car on Interstate 65 in Nashville and walked into oncoming traffic. Big rigs and cars swerving outta the way not to hit her. I grabbed her and pulled her back on the gravel shoulder of the road. What’s crazy about that suicide attempt is to this day, she has no recollection of it whatsoever. Probably best she doesn’t,” the Jumanji star continued.
He then added that while the scene wasn’t an easy one to shoot, it reminded him of something important. “We always gotta do our best to really pay attention when people are in pain,” he wrote. “Help ‘em thru it, get ‘em talkin’ about the struggle and remind ‘em that they’re not alone. We got lucky that day when I was 15 and that ain’t always the case.”
Over the years, The Rock has posted multiple photos with his mother, sharing details of their relationship. On Mother’s Day 2015, he shared a photo of his mom crying while eating breakfast on a private plane after she told him how proud she was of him.
“This is the woman who, when I was 14 yrs old, we were evicted out of our apartment in Hawaii ‘cause we couldn’t afford the $180 per week rent. At this moment I’m shaking my head and smiling quietly (as my mom blows her nose) ‘cause she just told me she’s happy,’” the actor continued. “And y’all know when our parents tell us they’re happy, its so satisfying for us, ‘cause it means we’ve done a good job for them as their kids. Happy Mother’s Day to all the deserving amazing mamas out there. And Happy Mother’s Day to my amazing mom who will no doubt kill me for posting this crying pic.”
If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or suicidal crisis, please call the Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
