Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia’s story breaks away from the typical Hollywood script. Though they divorced back in 2007, the two have remained close partners in business, building a powerhouse collaboration that’s still thriving today.
As reported by E! News, Garcia continues to manage Johnson, and together they co-founded Seven Bucks Productions — the company behind many of his blockbuster films and TV ventures.
But their strong working bond didn’t come easily. Speaking on The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast, Johnson reflected on the emotional fallout that followed their split, admitting that the transition was one of the toughest periods of his life.
“When you guys get married, as a few of you may know, you sign up for the long haul, but then it doesn’t always work out like that,” he shared. “And then it rocks you like it rocked me. And we had a baby, and what kind of father was I going to be?”
Their daughter Simone, now 24, was at the heart of that change. Johnson revealed that the adjustment brought on another wave of depression — something he’s been open about in the past. Trying to balance public strength with private pain forced him to rethink his life and the direction of his career.
“At that time, I was really going through it,” he said, explaining that he started turning away from darker, more emotionally demanding roles. Instead, he gravitated toward lighthearted, family-oriented films like The Game Plan and Tooth Fairy, which helped him heal while connecting with audiences in a new way.
“I didn’t want anything that was going to challenge me to rip my guts out,” he admitted. “I wanted stuff that has a happy ending.”
Looking back, Johnson says those choices were about finding stability and emotional peace as much as they were about shaping his career.
Over time, he and Garcia found a new rhythm together — one built on trust, respect, and shared ambition. “Marriage may not be in our cards, but building a business can be,” Johnson said.
