Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is opening up about his daughter’s WWE venture.
The legacy continues! Simone Johnson is not just another high profile celebrity kid riding on their famous parent’s coattails… She’s ready to make a name for HERSELF, and daddy Dwayne is her for it! The Black Adam star dished in an Entertainment Tonight article published Thursday on what it means that she is following in the family’s footsteps. He gushed:
“She’s fourth, [generation]. She’s made history. Very very proud of her.”
We bet!
As Dwayne pointed out, Simone, who he shares with ex wife Dany Garcia, is the fourth generation of the fam to get into professional wrestling, following her great grandfather Prince Peter Maivia aka “The High Chief,” Dwayne’s dad “Soul Man” Rocky Johnson, and of course her own pop, The Rock. And Dwayne is even still going strong at 50! While he initially retired in 2004, he returned to the ring in 2011 and has made appearances here and there as late as 2019. He clearly still has what it takes. (OMG could they ever face off in the ring???)
One thing is for sure — we wouldn’t want to mess with this family!
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Simone initially began her journey into WWE in 2020 as the YOUNGEST person to ever sign at just 18 years old, making Dwayne a proud poppa. As he explained at the time DURING an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon:
“She wound up being the youngest signee in the history of the company. So, she’s 18 now, at 16 she was working her ass off quietly under the radar, in the ring, getting thrown around and you know, all the bumps and bruises that go with pro wrestling. And she hung in there and I’m very proud of her.”
We see the dedication!
The Rock is now continuing to praise his pebble for carving out a path for herself, as he added in the ET interview:
“She is fiercely independent. It’s very important for her to make her own way. Blaze her own trail. Blaze her own path. She doesn’t come to me looking for a lot which I respect that. And I’m here watching and supporting.”
One of the many ways in which she’s making a name for herself is literally that… She made her OWN name, independent of the “Rock” or Johnson tradition, revealing herself as Ava Raine. That initially caused some WWE fans to panic as it seemed distant from her dad — and if anything closer to the name of his cousin, wrestler Roman Reigns. She responded to the backlash in a firm but fair tweet:
“I probably sound like a broken record & hopefully this is the last I’ll mention this but I don’t understand why people being portrayed as separate individuals from their family name is such a heated topic. A name doesn’t discredit any prior accomplishments from any family.”
You tell ‘em, Ava!
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She added in a separate Tweet:
“I could build my entire career around my father & people would still bash me anyway.”
See the full Tweets (below):
i probably sound like a broken record & hopefully this is the last i’ll mention this but i don’t understand why people being portrayed as separate individuals from their family name is such a heated topic.
a name doesn’t discredit any prior accomplishments from any family ???????? https://t.co/vsr44PeUqc
— AVA (@AvaRaineWWE) May 29, 2022
i could build my entire career around my father & people would still bash me anyway ???????? https://t.co/LjkQdoOpws
— AVA (@AvaRaineWWE) May 29, 2022
You know, her stance is probably a smart one because with more and more toxic fandoms, there will always be something celebs are criticized for so might as well do what feels right for YOU!
Awww, the Rock’s kiddo has grown up and become so much boulder! The question is, when can we expect a father-daughter duo in the ring?! What do YOU think of the latest WWE star?? Sound off in the comments below!
[Images via Dwayne Johnson & Simone Johnson/Instagram, & WWE/YouTube]
The post Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson Says Daughter Simone Does NOT Come To Him For Help In Her WWE Career! appeared first on Perez Hilton.