"Struggle and pain is real." That's how Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson summed up his battle with depression in a recent interview with Express.
The star has previously hinted at his struggles, telling one depressed fan on social media he's "battled the beast more than once" and empathizing with the "dark place" TV personality Davina McCall was in after her split.
As the actor explained to Express, his troubles began when he was growing up in an impoverished household in Hayward, California. His depression got serious when, at age 15, he watched his mother, Ata, try to take her own life.
"I was devastated and depressed. … I reached a point where I didn't want to do a thing or go anywhere. I was crying constantly," " he told the news outlet.
Sharing the story of his mother's near-suicide, he recalled: "She got out of the car on the Interstate 65 in Nashville and walked into oncoming traffic. Big rigs and cars were swerving out the way. I grabbed her and pulled her back on the gravel shoulder of the road."
Today, he says she doesn't remember the incident, telling Express Ata "has no recollection of it whatsoever," and noting it's "probably best she doesn't."
As a young adult, The Rock faced another round of challenges, beginning with the injuries he sustained that nixed his plan to become a pro football player. He was eventually picked up by a Canadian Football League team but lost the job within a year — and then his girlfriend left him.
"That was my absolute worst time," he admitted.
Both The Rock and his mother have "healed" since then, he said, adding that he makes a point of supporting those who may be suffering as he once did.
"… We've always got to do our best to pay attention when other people are in pain," he said. "We have to help them through it and remind them they are not alone.
Sarah Silverman, who battled severe depression for years, as well as Demi Lovato, Prince Harry, Lena Dunham and Justin Bieber have also spoken publicly in recent years about their fights to maintain their mental health.