The Rock Makes Heartbreaking Admission About His Family Amid Body Transformation

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson made a brutally honest admission about his family and also cut a different look during a Venice press conference ahead of his latest movie.

The Rock, 53, recently surprised fans when footage of him went viral on social media ahead of the upcoming release of The Smashing Machine.

The 53-year-old is commonly associated with lifting weights and has been muscular for decades, dating back to his first appearance in the WWE in 1996.

He previously explained how he consumes a whopping 5,000- 6,000 calories – twice the recommended average for a man of his age - through eating five to seven meals per day, which are rich in protein, to maintain his buff physique.

However, he has recently cut a much leaner figure. The WWE legend looked unrecognisable in a preview of The Smashing Machine, a film which tells the story of legendary MMA fighter Mark Kerr – the movie also features a cameo from current undisputed heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk.

In the movie, The Rock looks very different due to the use of a wig and prosthetics, while the 53-year-old also lost a reported 60lbs for the part and was visibly leaner.

Fans were also surprised by how open the actor spoke about his family during a press conference ahead of the film’s release in October, and explained how he didn’t take inspiration from his father, Rocky Johnson - a former wrestler - when showing the more caring side of Kerr.

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ROCK⁉️😳 pic.twitter.com/pA5Cy215xL

— Matt Wallace (@MattWallace888) September 1, 2025

The Rock said: "It wasn't really my dad. He was homeless by the time he was 13, so his capacity for love was very limited, and that's the man that raised me."

The California-born actor has previously been honest about the relationship difficulties he and his father had before Rocky died in 2020.

In an Instagram post in 2024, the actor paid tribute to his father and wrote: "My regret in this life is that I never had a chance to say goodbye to him, because he died suddenly.

"I regret not reconciling our complicated father/son s**t before I lost him. Raised me with tough fatherly love and an even tougher hand.

"The more I live life, the more grateful I am for it. See you down the road, Soulman."