Dwayne Johnson, better known as The Rock, has decided to start giving back to those who helped him along the way. Most recently, the star went back to the man who gave him a place to live when he was homeless – and changed his life for good!
Dwayne “The Santa” Johnson
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was not always the rich, famous star he is today. Once upon a time, he was a young man, trying to find his way in the world. Back then, WWE employee Harvey “Bruno” Wippleman helped Johnson during one of the hardest parts of his life. Now, the superstar has decided to give back to the man who gave him so much. It all started with an Instagram post.
“My life (especially my teenage years) has been full of the wildest twists and turns – yet God and the universe had always found a way to put a few people in my path that would change the trajectory of the road I was going down,” Johnson wrote in a post. “My mom and I were evicted off the island of Hawaii and I was sent to Nashville, Tennessee to live with my dad. When I landed in Nashville, I quickly found out I wasn’t gonna live with my dad.” All of a sudden, Johnson needed a place to live. That’s when Bruno stepped in to help a young boy on the street.
“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,” Johnson continued. However, believe it or not, this was far from the only time Bruno helped Johnson!
The Rock’s Crazy Teenage Years
Eventually, Johnson managed to move out of Bruno’s one-bedroom apartment. However, just a few years later, after he started his wrestling career as The Rock, Johnson once again found himself with nowhere to live. And, once again, Bruno managed to save the day. He gave the future superstar enough money to live in a small trailer for a few months – just enough time for Johnson to get back on his feet again.
Bruno even helped a 15-year-old Johnson get his first car! “And hell, when I was 15yrs old, Bruno even gave me his last $40 bucks so I could hustle a crackhead out of his car one night at a honky-tonk in Nashville,” he wrote in the post. “But 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! Wild times at 15yrs old.”
Since Bruno helped Johnson get his first car, the actor thought it was only appropriate to repay the gesture…
“Got You Covered”
Just last week, Johnson showed up unannounced at the home of Harvey “Bruno” Wippleman with quite a fantastic surprise in tow: a brand-new Ford F-150 pickup truck! In a video that accompanied Johnson’s post, Wippleman hugged his friend and thanked him for the incredible gift, that will be shipped directly to Bruno’s trailer in Walls, Mississippi.
Meanwhile, Johnson also wanted Bruno to know that, whenever he’s done with the trailer life, which Bruno loves, The Rock‘s got his back. “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,” Johnson ended his sweet post.
Sources: Good News Network, Wrestling Inc.