Around a week ago, while appearing on the Artist Friendly with Joel Madden podcast, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson opened up about the final conversation he ever had with his father, Rocky Johnson, and the regret that has stayed with him since.

Johnson explained that he never shared a particularly close relationship with his father. Their bond was defined more by tough love than affection, something he only fully understood later in life. Reflecting on their complicated dynamic, Johnson recalled how their last interaction ended on painful terms.

“We got into this huge fight Christmas 2019. It was awful. One of the biggest fights we ever got into about some just some stupid [stuff],” Johnson said. “And then about a month later, he passed away. And we weren’t talking.”

The strained and emotional nature of their father son relationship was later explored on screen in NBC’s Young Rock, which drew heavily from Johnson’s real life experiences growing up under the shadow of a demanding and often distant parent.

Despite their difficulties, Rocky Johnson’s impact on wrestling history is undeniable. He was the first African American WWF World Tag Team Champion and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2008, with his son honouring him during WrestleMania 24 weekend.

Rocky Johnson passed away on January 15, 2020, at the age of 75. His death was caused by a pulmonary embolism, the result of a blood clot that developed from deep vein thrombosis in his leg. He died at his home in Lutz, Florida, a property purchased by his son.