Back when Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson was still quite active with the WWE, he likely never thought that one day, he'd be one of the most sought-after actors in Hollywood. He also likely didn't think that he'd have 200 million followers on social media. But Dwayne's career has proven that with hard work, talent, and determination, anyone can exceed expectations.
Dwayne has officially become the most followed American man on Instagram. And one of the reasons may be due to the fact that he's willing to share his adventures in fatherhood. He's the perfect example of "girl dad," and he's made it perfectly clear that his daughters are capable of anything.
His oldest daughter, Simone, is actually following in his footsteps. She's helping to further prove the point that women can be excellent wrestlers. And she's keeping the family legacy alive. When Dwayne was known best as "The Rock" out in the ring, he was the third generation of his family to take up the sport professionally. Before The Rock, there was Rocky Johnson, Dwayne's father, and Peter Maivia, his grandfather. Rocky helped train Dwayne in the sport after he retired in 1991. Seeing Dwayne coach Simone is very touching, and it's another reason why people are intrigued by his family life.
Simone is Dwayne's oldest daughter. Born in 2001, she just turned 19 this August. This February, before everything shut down, she began training at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. "It means the world to me," she told WWE. "To know that my family has such a personal connection to wrestling is really special to me and I feel grateful to have the opportunity, not only to wrestle, but to carry on that legacy."
Instagram is where Dwayne showcased his support. For International Women's Day, he posted a touching photo of the two of them in quite a familiar place. "Respect the ground you walk, protect the name you carry and blaze your own @wwenxt @wwe path," he wrote in the caption. "Proud of you and as you go down the road, I'll always have your back."
Simone's mom is Dany Garcia, who was married to Dwayne from 1997 to 2008. Dany was reportedly Dwayne's college sweetheart. They were both student athletes but had a tough relationship even back then. One of the reasons why was, reportedly, Dany's family. Dwayne only met them after six years of couplehood with Dany.
"Her parents were Cuban immigrants who were adamant about being American," he told Ebony. "What they did not want was their daughter dating me, a person of color. I was half-Black, and that made me an unsuitable suitor." Luckily, they had her parents' blessing when they married in 1997. Unfortunately, the two weren't a great romantic match after all. But they're still friends.
Not only are they successful co-parents to Simone, but right around the time they were about to split, she became Dwayne's manager. They still have a great working relationship, and things have gone smoothly. "What it feels like is two friends who work together and have big dreams," Dany told ESPN. "That's the secret sauce. We have so much history. We were so broke together. We've always had respect for each other, and that respect allows a friendship to continue."
That proves that Dwayne is a class act — which is likely another reason as to why he's so popular on social media. Even when a relationship changes, he still makes sure to credit that person for all the good they've done. Dany is also kind toward Dwayne's current wife, Lauren Hashian — who's given him his two youngest daughters.
Dwayne has often praised his wife on Instagram, never afraid to show his fans what true love looks like. They first met in 2006, on the set of a film. But they started dating a year later in 2007. In 2015, they decided to have kids of their own, and baby Jasmine was born. But that's not their only daughter who'd end up sharing a name with a Disney princess.
Tiana Johnson was born in 2018. For his youngest, his tribute for International Women's Day would lead anyone to shed a tear. "The world will one day hear from you too, my strong little love," he wrote. "And I can't promise you I'll love you for the rest of your life, but you have my word I'll love and protect you for the rest of mine."
In general, there's no shortness of girl power on The Rock's Instagram page. "It's just the best thing," he told Extra. "I have a house full of just strong, bada*s women. It's terrifying, but it's awesome." He also shared that he was raised alone and that there was a lot of pressure on him to be a man.
"There was a lot of testosterone growing up," he said. "So there is this balance — having all this estrogenic energy — then also me having the opportunity to infuse 'father' and hopefully setting a standard of what a man should be in their lives." Just by looking at his Instagram page, it's obvious he's a present and loving dad.
But with his reach, it's also important for him to showcase how he advocates for women. "I was raised by women all my life, basically," he said, per People. "And this is my third daughter. [I'm] surrounded by estrogen. Bring on the estrogen!" Due to his posts, he's proven he's a feminist through and through.
One great example is a post he made for Women's Equality Day. In the picture, he's with middle child Jasmine. "She can be anything she wants," he wrote. "She can sit at any table. She can trailblaze a path, while humbly and gratefully recognizing those before her who paved the way. She and her big sister, Simone and her baby sister, Tiana Gia will always have a strong voice and always make a positive impact."
While announcing that they were expecting baby Tiana, Dwayne also made a very positive pro-women post on Instagram starring Jasmine. While some fathers may have been disappointed to have another girl after having two, Dwayne was overjoyed. "Jazzy is excited to boss around and protect her lil' sis," he wrote. "And once again, big daddy is completely surrounded by beautiful estrogen and loving, powerful female mana. All girls. One dude. And a boy dog. I wouldn't have it any other way."
In the world we live in today, it's important to have such a popular celebrity continuously showcase the greatness of women. Dwayne constantly tells his girls that they can be anything and do anything. In these dark times, it's good to have a celebrity like Dwayne use his popularity and his platform to help raise up women.
