Wrestler Life : All about Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's half-brother & sister.
 |
| (image source : hyperbeast) |
Although Dwayne was primarily raised as an only child after his birth in 1972, he was aware of two older half-siblings: Wanda Bowles and Curtis Bowles Johnson, from his father's first marriage to Una Sparks.
In June 2022, a Sports Illustrated article revealed that Rocky allegedly fathered five more children with different women across Canada during the 1960s and '70s. DNA testing reportedly confirmed that Rocky had several other sons and daughters, including Paula Parsons, Trevor Edwards, Lisa Purves, Adrian Bowles, and Aaron Fowler.
While Dwayne hasn't publicly addressed these additional siblings, he's always been vocal about his commitment to family, which includes his wife, Lauren Hashian, and three daughters, Simone, Jasmine, and Tiana. In September 2020, he told PEOPLE, "My top priority is always to protect my family, my children, and my loved ones."
Dwayne's half-siblings told Sports Illustrated they don't expect anything from the actor. Adrian stated, "Dwayne isn't responsible for his dad's choices; he doesn't even know us."
Dwayne's Upbringing as an Only Child
 |
| (Dwayne Johnson with his parents Ata and Rocky Johnson) |
Despite having seven half-siblings, Dwayne only knew about two growing up: his older sister, Wanda, and brother, Curtis, from his father's first marriage. However, he didn't spend much time with them. In a 2019 interview with Fatherly, Dwayne admitted, "I grew up an only child, so I was quite selfish in many ways."
Dwayne was raised by his parents, Rocky and Ata, and his childhood was spent on the road, following his father's wrestling career. By the time he started high school, Dwayne had lived in 13 different states, as he revealed on Sunday Today with Willie Geist in May 2021.
He described his childhood as "Forrest Gump-like," saying, "Wrestling in the '70s and '80s was very different from today. Often, including my father, wrestlers lived paycheck to paycheck."
Wanda and Curtis's Upbringing in Toronto
Rocky's first two children with Una were Wanda, born in December 1962, and Curtis, born in May 1965. Rocky and Una married in 1966, but his wrestling career quickly strained their relationship, according to Sports Illustrated.
The outlet reported that Una asked Rocky to quit wrestling and return home to be with her and their children. Despite having a job lined up delivering fish, Rocky chose to continue his wrestling career, leaving Una to raise Wanda and Curtis alone. When they divorced in 1978, they had been living separate lives for years.
Despite his absence during their childhood, Rocky publicly acknowledged Wanda and Curtis during his 2008 WWE Hall of Fame induction. Dwayne, who was trained by his father, introduced Rocky at the ceremony.
While Rocky's career limited his time with his older children, Curtis maintained a close relationship with his father. After Rocky's death from a heart attack in January 2020, Curtis wrote on Instagram, "You were my superhero as a child and my teacher as an adult. I'll always carry the lessons you taught me and cherish our time together on this planet."
Dwayne's Other Alleged Half-Siblings
The June 2022 Sports Illustrated article revealed that Rocky had allegedly fathered at least five other children with different women in the 1960s and '70s. Genealogical DNA testing reportedly confirmed that these individuals were half-siblings on the paternal side and Rocky's children.
The oldest of these newly discovered half-siblings is Paula Parsons, born to her mother, Thema, in May 1964, just 18 months after Wanda. Thelma reportedly met Rocky when she was 19 in Toronto, and they had a two-year relationship before Paula's birth. Paula was raised by her grandparents in Nova Scotia, Canada.
Trevor Edwards, born in March 1967 in Montreal, was next. His mother, Doreen, a Caribbean immigrant, worked in St. Catharines, Ontario, around the time Rocky wrestled there.
Lisa Purves, Rocky's fifth child, was born in October 1968 in Vancouver. Her mother, Vera Pinter, met Rocky through a mutual friend. They lived together briefly, but he left for a wrestling show when Vera was four months pregnant and never returned. Vera last heard from Rocky the night before Lisa's birth, later discovering he was married with children.
In 1970, Rocky fathered two more children: Adrian Bowles, born in April and raised by his mother Carolyn in Nova Scotia, and Aaron Fowler, born two months later in June, raised in Nova Scotia and British Columbia.
Dwayne hasn't publicly addressed his additional siblings, but they told Sports Illustrated they don't hold anything against their famous younger brother.
"Dwayne owes us nothing," Lisa stated.
Lisa's Documentary About Their Family
 |
| (Simone Alexandra Johnson, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Lauren Hashian, Ata Johnson and Rocky Johnson at the Hand And Footprint Ceremony on May 19, 2015 in Hollywood, California. ALBERT L. ORTEGA/GETTY) |
Lisa, a Vancouver-based independent filmmaker, has been working on a documentary about her half-siblings and their search for their father since 2018.
The film didn't start as a personal project. Initially, Lisa wanted to make a documentary about children abandoned by their parents but couldn't find willing participants.
"I researched the effects of child abandonment," she told Sports Illustrated. "And I realized: This is exactly me. ... All the issues it lists are mine."
A friend suggested Lisa make the documentary about herself, and "Just Call Me Lisa" was born. The title reflects her struggle with choosing a last name.
"I don't feel connected to a family name or history," she wrote on her blog. "My mother gave me her ex-husband's last name, Pinter, to avoid the stigma of being a 'bastard' on paper."
She added, "I was Lisa Purves while married. After my divorce, I couldn't go back to Pinter because it's not mine ... I couldn't take my father's last name because he won't acknowledge me."
Four of Lisa's half-siblings – Paula, Trevor, Adrian, and Aaron – participated in the documentary, according to her Instagram.
"Finding each other has completely changed my life. We've formed a loving family, and their stories are being told alongside mine in this film," she wrote in a 2020 blog post.
Rocky's Death Affected Dwayne's Half-Siblings
Rocky died at 75 from a massive heart attack caused by deep vein thrombosis on January 15, 2020.
Dwayne had been open about his "complicated" relationship with his father. He revealed on Instagram that they had their "biggest fight" over Christmas 2019 and didn't reconcile before Rocky's death.
"We weren't talking, and three weeks later, he died suddenly. That was it," he said in a video. "I never got to say goodbye or reconcile our issues."
Rocky's death also stirred unresolved feelings among his other children.
"I was angry at him for dying," Lisa wrote in a 2020 blog post. "I had planned to confront him ... to forgive him face to face. Not for him, but for me to move forward. His death took that away from me."
She also described how her siblings were coping with Rocky's death.
"As hard as my father's death was for me, it's worse for them," she shared. "I'll spend as long as it takes, even the rest of my life, to help my siblings heal."
Dwayne's Half-Siblings and Uncle Ricky
Although Dwayne's half-siblings couldn't form a relationship with their father before his death, they've all become close to Rocky's younger brother – and only surviving sibling – Ricky Johnson.
Trevor first met Ricky in person in June 2017. They took a DNA test, confirming their uncle-nephew relationship, according to Sports Illustrated.
"I hugged him, told him I loved him, and welcomed him to the family," Ricky told the publication.
After connecting with more of Rocky's children on social media, Ricky told Lisa about three of her half-siblings (Trevor, Adrian, and Paula) in 2018. Lisa arranged a family reunion in Toronto that year, which Paula called "the greatest moment of my life," according to the outlet.
"We're all close because of [Ricky]," Adrian added.
Ricky and Jeanie maintain strong ties with Rocky's children and extended family, frequently communicating through calls, texts, and video chats.
Ricky admitted disagreeing with Rocky's parenting approach and is trying to make amends.
"I always tell them I love them," Ricky said about his relationship with Rocky's kids. "I say it often to all of them."
He added, "They need love, just like any other child. Their wealth or fame doesn't change that."
Lisa suspects there might be more siblings
Lisa told Sports Illustrated she believes Rocky may have more children out there.
"I'm still looking," she said in 2022.
She elaborated on her blog about potential additional siblings.
"I learned I wasn't the only child my father left," she wrote in 2020. "So far, we're five. All confirmed by DNA tests. There are rumors of more, whom I'm trying to find."
Ricky shared with Sports Illustrated that his brother knew about some of his children.
"We had many private talks," Ricky told the magazine. "We clashed over [his family treatment]. That's how he chose to live."