Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson visits former Hawaii home, urges those who are struggling to ‘stay strong’
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Dwayne Johnson, a cast member in “G.I. Joe: Retaliation,” at the March 2013 Los Angeles premiere in Los Angeles. Johnson is back in Honolulu to visit his “old haunts,” including a former home where he once got evicted.
COURTESY “THE ROCK”
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson posted an Instagram video as he returned to his “old haunts” in Honolulu.
Movie star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is back in Honolulu to visit his “old haunts,” including a former home from which his family were once evicted.
Johnson posted a video to his Instagram on Monday, telling his 138 million followers he is living proof that success is possible for those who struggle to make ends meet.
“Stay strong, have faith and keep pushing through,” he said.
In 2018, Forbes named Johnson as the highest-paid actor in the history of the outlet’s Celebrity 100 list.
In the video, Johnson said he visited his grandmother and grandfather’s grave, Washington Middle School and McKinley High School.
“And all the places I used to get in trouble,” Johnson said, laughing. “And all the places I used to get arrested.”
He also visited the three-story apartment building on Ahana Street, where he once lived with his mother and father.
“I’ve been parked outside in this neighborhood where we used to live probably for about an hour now and probably looking shady as all hell like a creep in my Cadillac Escalade with very tinted windows,” he told his Instagram followers.
Johnson said he slept in the bedroom, while his parents slept on a pull-out couch in the living room. Johnson recalled returning home one day with an eviction notice posted on the door.
“That was the place where we were evicted from,” he recalled. “We were forced to move off the island because we couldn’t pay the rent.”
He remembered leaving his home to hit the gym or go to school and looking up at the “massive, gorgeous” condominium tower across the street from his building.
“I hope one day, I can live in something like that,” Johnson recalled thinking when he was younger.
Years later, the professional wrestler turned international movie star has played roles in blockbuster movies such as “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle,” “Moana” and “Baywatch.”
Johnson’s net worth is estimated at $280 million. He owns million-dollar homes and even bought his mom a brand new home for Christmas last year, according to Entertainment Tonight.
“When you go eat at a restaurant, you look at the prices first before you actually look at the selections,” Johnson said, chuckling. “I know what it’s like and I’ve been down that road … On the other side of your struggle is some sort of success, so keep pushing through.”
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Editor’s note: Johnson’s Instagram video (below) contains some strong language that viewers may find offensive.
