Dwayne Johnson remembered his father Rocky Johnson on the former wrestler’s birthday in a sweet Instagram post.
“Happy birthday, Soulman 🕊️❤️,” wrote Dwayne Johnson over the weekend, calling his late father by his nickname.
Dwayne Johnson described the career of his father, who made a name for himself as a wrestler in the early 1970s.
“My old man was a real pioneer as a professional wrestler in the 60s and 70s. & 80s,” he wrote. “As a black athlete, he changed the racist behavior of many people over the years with his talent in the ring and his incredible work ethic in the gym.”
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and his father at the hand/footprint ceremony in his honor held at the TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX in Hollywood, California on May 19, 2015.
Michael Tran/FilmMagic via Getty Images, FILE
The “Moana” star also addressed the “complicated” relationship with his father, noting that it has always been a shared love.
“He taught me lessons – good and bad. Sometimes the father-son dynamic can be complicated, but in the end it’s still love,” he wrote.
“Missing my old man and wishing I could hug him one more time. Happy birthday soulman 🥃❤️,” wrote Dwayne Johnson.
Rocky Johnson, who died in 2020, was described by WWE as “physically imposing and incredibly charismatic.” Dwayne Johnson helped induct his father Rocky Johnson into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2008.
Dwayne Johnson mourned his father and announced his death in an Instagram post in January 2020.
“I was the boy who sat in the seats, watching and adoring you, my hero, from afar. The boy you raised to always be proud of our cultures and proud of who and what I am. The boy you raised with the toughest love. With intense work. With a heavy hand. The adoring boy who only wanted to know your best qualities,” he wrote.
