The Rock wasn’t always rich and famous. Before striking it big, he had a difficult childhood and even spent time being homeless. Many people have helped him along the way, and he’s taken the time to repay their kindness now that he’s in a better position. In fact, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson recently gifted the man who took him in when he got evicted from home in Hawaii with a new car.
- The man’s name was Bruno Lauer. He let The Rock stay with him in a “tiny room” at a local hotel. As Johnson detailed in an Instagram post, he and his mom were homeless and things went downhill from there. “My mom and I were evicted off the island of Hawaii and I was sent to Nashville, Tennessee to live with my dad,” he wrote. “When I landed in Nashville, I quickly found out I wasn’t gonna live with my dad. Sh*t happens, plans change and that’s the way it goes. Instead, I told I was gonna live with a guy named Bruno, who at the time lived in a tiny room at a spot called the Alamo Plaza motel. Bruno could’ve (and should’ve) said, ‘Hell no, I’m not takin’ in some kid who I don’t know’. But he didn’t. He took this punk kid in and we became lifelong friends.”
- He really wanted to launch his wrestling career in Memphis. Dwayne Johnson had only $7 to his name when he arrived, but Lauer not only gave him a room, he handed over “his last $40” so Johnson could “hustle a crackhead out of his car one night at a honky tonk in Nashville.” However, he added that “the hustle was on me, because when I took off down the road there was a second crackhead passed out on the floor in the back.”
- Dwayne Johnson repaid Lauer by giving him a brand new car. He appreciated the man’s kindness and generosity so much, he had to find a way to repay it. “I love you, brother. Your kindness and heart – helped change my life’s trajectory. And when you’re ready to retire from the business you just say the word. I got you covered,” The Rock said. “Enjoy your new ride and give Walls, Mississippi my love and gratitude.”
- Lauer couldn’t believe the gesture. “I can’t believe it, I love you so much, before this, without this, with nothing. I love you man, not ‘cause of this, ‘cause of who you are,” he said in response. What a sweet story!
