Dwayne Johnson Almost Never Saw His Dad Smile — Now He Is 'Gentle' with Daughter While at 'Tea Party'

Dwayne Johnson's followed in his father's footsteps of becoming a wrestler despite their complex relationship. The star's father cheated on his mother, and Dwayne had to step up to take care of her. The actor's first daughter also became a wrestler, and with his youngest ones, the star has "tea parties" and declares his love for them but regrets not telling his father, who died in 2020, the same thing.

According to 2021's The Sydney Morning Herald (SMH), Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson confessed that his relationship with his father, Rocky Johnson, was complicated. The star explained how his father believed in tough love.

Dwayne shared how Rocky was once kicked out of his family's home at age 13, leaving him homeless. That experience and others shaped the man Rocky became and how he'd raised his son.

By the time the actor was 13, he'd lived in the same number of different states. The most challenging times of his childhood were when he was 13 and 15, with the latter age being the one when he began doing things he shouldn't have been, saying:

"I fought tooth and nail with my mom and my dad [to not leave Hawaii], but times were hard for us, and it became harder and harder for us to pay the rent."

The family ended up in Nashville, Tennessee, before being forced out of the city to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. By nine months, Dwayne had lived in three different cities, and things were unstable.

The actor's childhood was filled with arguments between his parents, where the star had to protect his mother after his father cheated on her. When Rocky's son became a first-time parent, he did all he could to raise his child in a better way.

Dwayne's First Daughter Whom He Practiced Kind Parenting With

By July 2022, Dwayne was already a father to his oldest daughter, Simone Johnson. She followed in his footsteps, as he'd done with his father, by becoming a professional wrestler, and the actor was proud of her when she made her debut in July 2022 in WWE for WWE NXT.

RELATED: Dwayne Johnson Speaks about Dad Rocky's Death with Oprah Winfrey on 2020 Wellness Tour & Says He Feels No Pain

During a previous "Jimmy Kimmel Live" interview, the star said his daughter did well while cutting her promotion in front of wrestling fans. The star also noted that Simone's wrestling name, Ava Raine, was "cool."

The "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" actor's daughter began wrestling for WWE in 2020. She made her father proud by being the youngest person to sign a contract with WWE and representing the fourth generation of professional wrestlers. Even though Simone was "fiercely independent," her father remained in the background, supporting and watching her.

The "Fast & Furious" star's daughter was born on August 14, 2001, in Davie, Florida. At the time, Dwayne was married to his first wife, Dany Garcia; their daughter mainly grew up in Florida and graduated high school in May 2019.

The actor split his time between Florida and Los Angeles, always making time for his family. Despite his harsh background, Dwayne parented his daughter gently and lovingly, and for 2019's Valentine's Day, he took a round-trip flight to Miami to spend it with Simone.

In January 2019, the pair attended the premiere of Dwayne's film "Fighting with My Family" at the Sundance Film Festival. Later that year, the star sent off his daughter to New York University, noting on "Live with Kelly and Ryan" that they had an "awesome relationship."

The actor also revealed his excitement for his daughter to start her next chapter because "she earned it." He shared how he wasn't worried about Simone's meeting college guys, stating:

"I like to think, and it's what girls do, they measure the men they meet in their life by their father. I like to think whoever she brings home is going to be a good quality person."

For someone who grew up in a problematic background without a decent relationship with his father, Dwayne managed to turn things around with his children. The star declared his love for his youngest daughters, with whom he held the cutest "tea parties!"

The Bond Dwayne Created with His Youngest Daughters

In May 2022, Dwayne shared the most adorable Instagram video of him and one of his daughters, Tiana, having a tea party. Despite the actor's enormous stature and challenging childhood, he brought himself down to his children's level to parent them well.

RELATED: Dwayne Johnson on How Late Father Rocky Johnson Would Have Reacted to His New Show 'Young Rock'

In the short clip, he was seen fitting his large frame in a small child's chair with his youngest daughter sitting across from him, having some tea. He explained how the tea parties put life into perspective in a particular way, adding:

"My 'why' becomes even more clear."

Dwayne noted how the little girl had just turned four and probably wouldn't remember that moment, but he knew he would. The following month, he shared another hilarious short clip of Tiana singling and playing with his face while he tried to nap!

The star explained how he'd tried to take a nap when his daughter decided to keep coming back to ask him if he was sleeping! After the seventh time, Tia told him she knew what he needed and started serenading him with the Itsy Bitsy Spider nursery rhyme while running her fingers across his face!

After she was gone, she wished him a good night, told him he loved him, and walked off! Dwayne returned the warm sentiment and pleaded with Tiana to "retire" the Itsy Bitsy Spider before writing:

"We act annoyed, but secretly, us daddy’s never want this kinda stuff to end. The hell with it; I'll sleep next year."

Speaking to CBS News in October 2022, the actor confessed that his favorite role was being a father to his three daughters. His two youngest children, Tiana and her older sister Jasmine, were often featured on his Instagram page.

When asked if he enjoyed the tea parties he had with his daughters, without a pause, Dwayne admitted that "I love them!" Page Six even described him as the "ultimate girl dad" because of the way he parented his two daughters with his second wife, Lauren Hashian.

In some images, the wrestler was seen doing puzzles on the floor with his brood, discussing his scars, brushing Tiana's hair, and making the two girls laugh as he played with them by allowing the children to bury him underneath their giant stuffed toys.

The star also watched their favorite cartoons, helped Tiana relieve herself in the bushes, played with Barbie dolls, swam with the duo, and the two girls made him pancakes for one Father's Day! He played outside games with the pair, like when he held a pinata for one of his daughters to hit, risking "candy and sterility" so his daughter could have fun.

RELATED: Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson Shares Moving Tribute to Dad Rocky 'Soul Man' Johnson in 1st Post since His Passing

Tiana was born on April 17, 2018, in Los Angeles, and a few days after the birth, Dwayne pulled out of his appearance at CinemaCon for "Skyscraper" due to "team no sleep" and "baby duty!" Before she was born, the actor told Jimmy Kimmel he felt "good" being a father to girls.

He noted how women raised him; with his third daughter, he would be surrounded by estrogen and was okay with that! Since then, he's done his daughters' manicures and revealed how he instilled self-love and confidence in his children.

During 2021's International Women's Day, Dwayne taught Tiana words of affirmation, encouraging the little girl not only to call herself a "pretty girl" but an "awesome" one. Tiana's older sister was born on December 16, 2015.

Her father celebrated Jasmine's birth saying Christmas had come early! In an Instagram post, the actor said he wanted to be a better father and embraced the role by having spa days, movie nights, and playing pranks on the little girl.

In December 2017, he brought her along to his Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony, where she adorably told him, "I love you," during his speech. When Dwayne and Hashian married on August 18, 2019, in Hawaii, Jasmine got to be a flower girl!

Despite all the characters he's played in movies, the actor was just their father to his children. For instance, Jasmine only realized Dwayne was Maui in "Moana" three years after the film was released!

The little girl didn't even believe him when he sang along to Maui's songs because, within seconds, she'd told him he was ruining the track! However, she'd gotten used to his fame and introduced him to fans in public.

In November 2021, the star told Today that when Jasmine found out someone was noticing her father, she would grab him and insist he goes greet the fans! Like most things, Dwayne wasn't bothered by his children's actions and said, "It's the best."

RELATED: Dwayne Johnson Talks about Writing Eulogy for His Late Father Rocky after His Recent Passing

Sadly, in 2020, the actor and his family by struck by a tragedy when he lost his father. Although they were on better terms when Rocky passed away, Dwayne still had things he wished they'd done.

Losing Rocky and Having Regrets

After losing his father in January 2020, Dwayne got Joseph Lee Anderson, the man who played Rocky on the show, "Young Rock," to take a walk with him. In the September 2022 Instagram clip, the pair were seen taking a walk together.

The star explained he'd never gotten a chance to walk with his father when he was a child, and if he had been alive then, he would've loved to have tried it with Rocky. He role-played the walk because he wanted to feel what it would've felt like, and it was good.

He [Dwayne Johnson] noted how when he stopped looking for Rocky's [Johnson] approval, that's when he understood what it meant to be a man and a father.

Dwayne described it as "cathartic" and said it helped him "reconcile some complicated father/son" things. During his SMH interview, the actor shared how Rocky would've loved and been proud of the show Anderson starred in, saying:

"Because for the first time, we are showcasing this world, those men in the '70s and '80s, and showcasing it through the lens of something that's positive. I know that would have meant a lot to my dad."

After losing his father, Dwayne wrote a lengthy post sharing how he'd loved Rocky for his role in the world. He confessed to "adoring" his late father as a boy and thought he was a hero, noting:

"Dad, I wish I had one more shot to tell you, I love you, before you crossed over to the other side."

In a past Entertainment Tonight interview, the actor, who was an only child, noted how his relationship with his mother, Ata Johnson, was loving and supportive. He shared how the lessons she tried to teach him fell on deaf ears because he was "running around getting arrested" and "being an idiot" when he was younger.

The star also revealed that the same was true for Rocky, who tried teaching him specific lessons that he only realized how important they were until Rocky died. Dwayne said he wished he could've given Rocky "a big ole hug and a big ole kiss" before he passed on.

However, he believed their bond was stronger, and they were closer now that his father was gone. Two years before Rocky's death, his son honored him with a Father's Day post with a throwback photo of them both when they were younger.

Dwayne said the tough love he received from his father shaped him into the father and man he was today. He noted how when he stopped looking for Rocky's approval, that's when he understood what it meant to be a man and a father.

The star was then able to find gratitude for how his father raised him and accepted that tough love was better than no love. In October 2022, Dwayne celebrated his 50th birthday and continued being a loving father and husband.