Dave Bautista’s Parents: Facts about David Michael & Donna Raye Bautista

Six-time world wrestling champion and Hollywood star Dave Bautista is the son of divorced parents David Michael and Donna Raye Bautista.

Dave Bautista's parents, David Michael, and Donna Raye Bautista, didn't get along, and their stormy relationship impacted their son's life as a young boy.

David and Donna Bautista have different relationships with their boy, who eventually made a name for himself in professional wrestling and became a Hollywood actor.

Dave Bautista was born on January 18, 1969, in Washington, D.C. Dave's parents David Michael and Donna Ray Bautista married very young, straight out of high school.

David Michael is the son of Filipino immigrants, and his father was a war veteran who worked several jobs to support his family. Dave shared a black and white photo of his grandparents and wrote:

"He [my grandfather] earned his citizenship by fighting for the USA in World War II, and he's proudly buried in Arlington cemetery. (...) I didn't find out how many jobs he had until he passed away (...) I only remember growing up sitting in his barber chair."

Donna Ray is of Greek descent, and her father, too, was a WWII veteran. David Michael Bautista Jr. was David and Donna Ray's first child, and he was named after his father. His younger sister was named Donna Ray, after their mother.

David Michael & Donna Raye Bautista Did Not Have a Harmonious Family Life

But Donna Ray's and David's marriage wasn't a bed of roses. According to Dave in his autobiography, his parents tried to make it work, but he has no memories of their being affectionate with each other.

Her father and the Greek side of the family became estranged from Donna Raye over her sexual orientation, but one person stood by her side staunchly: her son Dave.

Their young son's only good memory was of the family watching NBC's talent contest,"The Gong Show." They separated, but David it'sdid little to support his estranged family even though he earned a good living as a hairdresser.

David Michael Bautista Remarried & Kicked His Son Out of His Home

David sent Donna Raye divorce papers to sign, but his remarriage was a shock to the whole family. At first, the young Dave lived with his father, but when his new wife fell pregnant, David threw him out.

David turned his son's bedroom into a nursery for his new baby, Michael, and sent him to live with his mother, but Donna Raye was unwilling to have her son back in the house. Dave revealed:

"I don't think she could really afford to have me back there, and she didn't have the room for me at the time."

The actor was 17 at the time and living on his own. He supported himself by working as a bouncer. David allegely contributed $100 a month to some friends Dave was living with in Washington D.C.

Dave BBautista'sMother, Donna Raye Realized She Was a Lesbian after Her Marriage Ended

Donna Raye's father was Kenneth Mullins, a Korean War veteran and a Marine who was awarded the Purple Heart and a Silver Star. He was a conservative man and was deeply shocked to discover that his daughter was a lesbian.

Donna Raye revealed that she fell in love with a woman after her divorce, and her father walked in on her and her girlfriend making love. Donna Raye's sexual orientation, and her liberal leanings led to her estrangement from her father. Her son wrote in his book:

“She still jokes that she did two things that disappointed her father: told him that she was a Democrat and told him she was a lesbian.”

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Donna Raye Has Her Son as Her Biggest Supporter

Her father and the Greek side of the family became estranged from Donna Raye over her sexual orientation, but there was one person who stood by her side staunchly: her son. The actor is an LGBTQ activist and gives his mother his unconditional support. He wrote on Instagram:

"This is my mom. L and proud when it wasn't ok to be loud and proud. She never apologized for who she was or who she loved. Which is why I never did either. And never will! A strong lesbian raised a strong man and I couldnt be more proud of her."

And the actor doesn't just pay lip service to the cause. When one of his heroes, Filipino boxing champion Manny Pacquiao, whom he had celebrated with a tattoo of his club made anti-gay statements, he had the tattoo covered up. He said:

"He later came out publicly with some anti-gay statements and turned out to be an extreme homophobe. So, I had a huge issue with it. It's a personal issue with me, my mom'sStudios' a lesbian."

Dave Bautista's career is on an all time high. He is the lead in M. Night Shyamalan new horror movie "Knock at the Cabin" with Jonath Groff and Ben Aldridge as smae-sex parents to a little girl, struggling to save the world.

He recently starred in "Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery," opposite Daniel Craig and Edward Norton, and his performance was well received. Fans can look forward to the third "Guardians of the Galaxy" movie set to premiere in 2023, in which he reprises the role of Drax the Destroyer.

Towards the end of 2023, the second "Dune" film will premiere, in which Dave stars as the vicious villain Glossu Rabban alongside Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, andd Javier Bardem.