Dwayne Johnson, the actor better known by his pro wrestling alter ego "The Rock," shared an emotional Instagram post that had his fans reaching for tissues this week.
In the past, Johnson has shared memories about his mother, Ata Johnson, on social media. While it's clear the giant actor loves his devoted mom, things weren't always easy for the movie star's family.
When Johnson was growing up, his father (who was also a wrestler) saw his career decline. Last year at Thanksgiving, Johnson remembered that his family was once too poor to even celebrate the holiday.
"We couldn't even afford Thanksgiving dinner and was praying someone would invite us over their house to eat," Johnson told his fans on Instagram.
"We were in a tough spot back then, but we got thru it."
On Mother's Day last year, the actor shared another emotional photo of his mother crying on his private airplane. He revealed that, when he was just 14, his family had been evicted from their home, and had their car repossessed, so his mother was simply overwhelmed by her son's success.
"And y'all know when our parents tell us they're happy, its so satisfying for us," Johnson wrote, "'cause it means we've done a good job for them as their kids."
But, earlier this week, Johnson remembered another unhappy memory about his mom, and the time he had to stop her from taking her own life.
Johnson was filming a scene for his HBO show, Ballers, when he was reminded of the tragic incident.
The actor shared a photo of himself standing in a graveyard with an emotional story about his mother:
"Not your typical scene on our comedy #ballers, as I cracked a beer open toasting my [fictional] brother, William who committed suicide," he wrote.
"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."
Johnson went on to explain that when he was 15 years old, and his family was struggling to make ends meet, his mother ran into incoming traffic.
"She got outta the car on Interstate 65 in Nashville and walked into oncoming traffic," he remembered. "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."
"We got lucky that day when I was 15," he added, "and that ain't always the case."
It's a harrowing story, but luckily it seems like Johnson and his mother are in a much better place now. We're just glad this star reacted so quickly.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, you can get help by calling 1-800-273-8255.
