Skip to main content
Inside The Ropes
  • News

    WWE News

    AEW logo for their Dynamite TV show

    AEW News

    Japan News

    Wrestling News

  • Features
    10 Former WWE Superstars We'd Like To See Return Under The Triple H Regime

    10 Former WWE Superstars We’d Like To See Return Under The Triple H Regime

    AEW Battle of the Belts

    How To Improve AEW Battle Of The Belts

    Shooting Star Press

    5 Most Insanely Dangerous Pro Wrestling Moves

    5 Times The Undertaker Was Genuinely Scary

    5 Times The Undertaker Was Genuinely Scary

  • Interviews
    Rick Boogs

    Interview With Rick Boogs

    JONAH

    Interview With JONAH

    Rosemary Interview

    Interview With Rosemary

    Jay White

    Interview With Jay White

  • Podcasts
    Power Slam Podcast #251 – Post SummerSlam RAW, Pat McAfee & More

    Listen
    What’s Going Down #85 – SummerSlam, Ric Flair & More

    Listen
    Wrestling Roast #70 – Tractors, Returns & Retirements

    Listen
    Power Slam Podcast #250 – Triple H As Head Of Creative, WrestleMania 40 & More

    Listen
  • Quizzes
    Play Word Rumble

    Play Word Rumble

    WWE logo

    Can You Name Every WWE Pay-per-view?

    WWE Survivor Series sole survivors quiz

    Can You Name All The WWE Survivor Series Sole Survivors?

    WWE Smackdown logo

    Can You Name Every Wrestler That Competed On The First SmackDown?

  • Live Tours
  • Shop
    Magazine
    Clothing
    Accessories
    Collectibles
  • Trending
  • Follow us:
    • Facebook Facebook
    • Twitter Twitter
    • Instagram Instagram
  • Watch us:
    • YouTube YouTube
    • Twitch Twitch
  • Subscribe to the Magazine
  • Play Word Rumble
WWE News

The Rock Opens Up About Stealing Clothes As A Teenager

By James Holder. Published 13th October 2021.
The Rock in the gym

Speaking in a new tell-all interview, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has opened up about shoplifting as a teenager and what led him to turn his life around.

While The Rock may now be one of the most famous wrestlers in history and one of the biggest movie stars in the world, his life was once very different.

Born into a wrestling family, his father was Rocky Johnson, while his grandfather was “High Chief” Peter Maivia. However, life as a wrestlers son wasn’t as glamorous as it can be today, with Johnson and his mother famously coming home to an eviction notice pinned to the front door of their Hawaii apartment when he was just 14.

Shortly after this incident, Johnson was sent to Nashville, Tennessee to live with his father. Although, he instead ended up moving into a motel with one of his dad’s friends Bruno Lauer. Better known as Harvey Wippleman.

In conversation with Vanity Fair, Johnson recalled this period of his life, revealing that he put into practice the stealing skills he’d honed while living in Hawaii.

“I just didn’t want to wear the same old shorts and T-shirt and flip-flops every day”—though he would also lift a king-size Snickers from the same 7-Eleven every day between 4 and 4:30 in the afternoon as he walked the three or four miles to the gym. Just breezed in, breezed out, without buying anything else. “They had to have known,” he now reflects.”

Wippleman confirmed that the would-be star was a skilled thief, explaining how he had a knack for laying his hands on whatever they needed.

Related

Kurt Angle Reveals Vince McMahon’s Two Words For Him In 2015

“He’ll tell you himself—he was a thief,”

‘Bruno, you want some cigarettes? I got you a quart of beer. I got us some hot dogs, some this, some that…. I got me a radio….’ ” Johnson would pretend that people had given him the stuff for free because they were fans of Lauer or of his father, but of course Lauer knew the truth. “Hell, back then I didn’t have any morals either,” Lauer says. “I was benefiting too!”

After witnessing the marital troubles between his parents close-up the the family moved to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Here Johnson was arrested for stealing clothes. It was at this point he says he realised things had to change.

“I started caring that night. I’ll never forget it. I’ll never forget going to bed going, ‘Of all the shit my mom has been through and that I have been right there watching and witnessing, now I am compounding it with my dumb-ass decisions.’”

After being cut from the Canadian Football League, The Rock signed with WWE in 1996. After debuting at Survivor Series later that year, The Great One rose up the WWE ladder, despite initial resistance from fans.

The Rock would later star as a member of the Nation of Domination before winning his first WWE Title in 1998.

After leaving the ring full time in 2003, The Rock made a name for himself in Hollywood, breaking into superstardom with his role in The Fast And The Furious franchise which soon spun out to a Hobbs and Shaw franchise starring Johnson and Jason Statham in the lead roles.

In 2021 Johnson starred with Emily Blunt in the hugely successful Jungle Cruise as his star continues to shine as Hollywood’s leading man.

The Rock recently ventured into new territory making his debut as a rapper alongside Tech N9ne on the track Face Off.

  • Facebook
    Share
  • Twitter
    Tweet
  • WhatsApp
    Send
  • Share

Popular Stories

  1. Former WWE Superstar Details Wanting To Sleep With Paul Heyman
  2. Former WWE Diva Opens Up About Heat With Batista
  3. John Laurinaitis “Quietly Let Go” By WWE
  4. Asuka Wants A Tag Team Partner, Ex-WWE Star Responds
  5. USA Network Pitched Interim Raw World Title During Roman Reigns’ Reign
  6. AEW Star Hidden For “Not Being Friends With The Boss” – Jim Cornette
  7. “Tony’s Struggling” – Dave Meltzer On Growing Gap Between AEW & WWE
  8. Triple H Left “Dismayed” By Karrion Kross’ Original Main Roster Run
  9. WWE Star Seemingly Suffers Head Injury During Live Event
  10. WWE Superstar Acting As Bridesmaid For Tay Conti’s Wedding
Inside The Ropes
  • News
  • Features
  • Interviews
  • Podcasts
  • Magazine
  • Write For Us
  • Facebook Facebook
  • Twitter Twitter
  • Instagram Instagram
  • YouTube YouTube
  • Twitch Twitch
© 2022 ITR Digital Media Limited. Read about our privacy policy.