The Rock gets emotional as he talks about the tragic timing of Rocky Johnson's death

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson sat down with popular YouTube and podcast host Patrick Bet David to discuss a variety of topics, including his personal development, initial contract negotiations with Vince McMahon, the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, and whether he would ever run for president.

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Most of Johnson's answers were abstract enough not to upset anyone—movie fame is a popularity contest, after all—while others sounded like a copy of Hallmark's college graduation reports. That's no knock. Given the number of projects and companies The Rock has to please (Disney, anyone?), it's impressive how many of PBD's rhetorical grenades The Great One was able to deftly sidestep.

The conversation eventually turned to The Rock's father, the late Rocky Johnson. Rocky was a WWE Superstar in the '80s and one of the first black WWE titleholders when he won the tag championship alongside Tony Atlas in 1983. Rocky also helped train The Rock before his WWE debut.

Rocky Johnson died suddenly of an embolism in 2020. The Rock has spoken about the argument with his father before, but perhaps not with as many emotional details.

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“A month before he died, we had the biggest fight we've ever had and we never had a chance to work it out,” Johnson said. “It was brutal and it was Christmas time.”

Rock added that he “never got the chance to say goodbye” and that he wished he had “a chance” to hug his father “one more time.”

After explaining his father's turbulent upbringing and his interest in instilling working-class values ​​in young Rock, The Final Boss summed up his reflections on familial love and loss as follows:

“Man, I've picked up a lot of great qualities from my old man. Thanks, Dad! And that's what helps me, in a way, to reconcile with my old man and that I can say today: Hey, thanks, Dad.”

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