Why Fans Are Turning On The Rock

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is a man who needs no introduction. After debuting as Rocky Maivia at Survivor Series 1996, he redefined himself as "The Rock" and became an integral part of WWE's beloved Attitude Era, claiming 10 World Titles, five Tag Team Titles, and a Royal Rumble win. His WWE career is legendary, and multiple generations of wrestling fans have been beckoned to smell what "The Rock" is cooking.

Johnson's influence, however, is not simply limited to the ropes of a wrestling ring. Outside of his iconic promos and legendary elbows, he has been a Hollywood blockbuster staple with a huge social media following, boasting around 487 million followers across Instagram, TikTok, and X at the time of this writing.

Fans have adored "The Rock" for decades, but in recent years, the previously beloved Attitude Era icon has been scrutinized not only by netizens, but professionals in both the wrestling and film industries. Johnson's social blunders are vast, from inconsequential lies about fast food experiences to unprofessional film habits that have cost his works to balloon in budget costs. 

While Johnson's career is alive and well, it seems he is losing the approval of the fans that built it. Some notable controversies over the years have caused fans to turn their noses up at the once-beloved "Great One," suggesting that he's no longer the "People's Champion."

According to the United States Fire Administration, more than 100 lives were lost in the 2023 Maui wildfires, with the damage costs being an estimated $5.5 billion. Dwayne Johnson, who is half-Samoan and deeply in touch with his Pacific Islander heritage, teamed up with fellow celebrity Oprah Winfrey to open up the Peoples' Fund of Maui to give financial aid directly to families who were impacted by the wildfires.

While Winfrey and Johnson both invested $10 million to kickstart the campaign, they quickly turned to their millions of fans in order to collect funds for the project. Winfrey and Johnson's attempts to start this grassroots-based charity instead turned into a commentary on their own alleged greed, as several netizens accused Winfrey and Johnson of insincerity. 

The pair's critics pointed out that Winfrey and Johnson had more than enough money to fund the financial aid program out of own their pockets, without having to reach out to the public for funds. At the time of writing, Johnson is estimated to have a net worth of $800 million. That said, rather than avoid the criticisms, Johnson addressed them head on.

It took Dwayne Johnson six weeks to address the controversies. In his response, delivered via a four-minute, selfie-style video posted on his Instagram, he took the criticisms well. He acknowledged the fans' frustrations, and attempted to empathize with the public by recounting his own early days of financial struggles.

"When you are living paycheck to paycheck — I don't want to speak for everybody, but I'll speak for myself," Johnson said. "I was frustrated, and the last thing you want to hear, when you are living paycheck to paycheck, is someone asking you for money, especially when the person asking you for money already has a lot of money."

While there is limited information regarding Johnson's financial history before his breakout in WWE, Johnson has claimed that he was originally making $40 per match during a short stint on the independent scene. Johnson reassured fans that the mistake would not happen again, and that he was a fast learner. As of writing, approximately 8100 families have received monthly payments of $1200 from the fund, with a reported $60 million being forwarded to Maui families.

There is nothing wrong with enjoying the occasional fast food burger. There is, however, some stigma associated with visiting a chain on three separate occasions, just to claim that it is your first visit every time. Dwayne Johnson found that out the hard way.

Johnson first reported a visit to the popular West Coast-based chain In-N-Out in February 2017. In his Instagram post at the time, Johnson posted a humble photo with two In-N-Out employees after retrieving a meal for his wife and daughter, and he made sure to let fans know that he had never visited the chain.

"I've never been to IN-N-OUT before," Johnson wrote. "I know, what an a**hole."

He gave a glowing review of the fast food chain, specifically applauding their free ketchup, and promised to return to In-N-Out should his 2016 Disney smash hit, "Moana," win an awards at the 2017 Oscars. Johnson once again reminded fans that he was a novice in the world of In-N-Out, and proudly capped off his post with the hashtag "#NewestandBiggestFan."

While "Moana" did not win the Oscar Johnson was hoping for, he revisited the chain five years later, and claimed that his meal — two Double-Doubles, fries, and two bottles of his own Teremana tequila — was his first time trying In-N-Out, despite having a recorded visit five years prior. To further sell the fantasy, Johnson closed out his caption by implying that In-N-Out was not on his list of fast food favorites before, despite giving it a positive review in 2017.

Dwayne Johnson recycled his script in 2023, where he once again touted an inaugural visit to In-N-Out. In his third documented In-N-Out excursion, which he shared on Instagram, Johnson played the role of a clueless customer, and reportedly did not know how to place an order, what to order, and where to pay, among other things. Johnson promised to visit In-N-Out again soon, though whether he will claim his next visit is a first-time encounter remains to be seen.

While this odd sequence of events is mostly harmless, fans were clued into Johnson's web of deceit by popular Twitch streamer and YouTube commentator Charles Christopher White Jr., who goes by MoistCr1TiKaL or penguinz0. His exposé video, titled "He Keeps Lying," has garnered 7.5 million views as of writing. It seems White's viral video was more influential in turning fans against "The Rock" than the absurd lies themselves, as many comments under Johnson's 2022 video mentioned the streamer by name.

While it might be harmless to lie about how many times you've visited a fast food joint, potentially burying one of the most high-profile AEW-to-WWE jumps could be disastrous for the latter's business. Dwayne Johnson, who is on the executive board of WWE's parent company, TKO, gained the ire of the WWE Universe when he almost shoved fan-favorite Cody Rhodes from his WrestleMania 40 spot against Roman Reigns in early 2024.

Rhodes shocked the world when he scored his second Royal Rumble victory at the 2024 event, and he infuriated the world when he acquiesced his Royal Rumble right to a WrestleMania title match to "The Great One" on the February 2 episode of "WWE SmackDown." Fans, who were expecting Rhodes to finish his story against the otherworldly and then-WWE Undisputed Universal Champion Reigns, revolted at the proposition, and caused the hashtag "#WeWantCody" to trend worldwide.

As public pressure began to increase and industry names such as Logan Paul began to speak out about Rhodes' injustice, WWE was forced to scrap any idea of a familial battle between Johnson and Reigns. Johnson, who was originally positioned to be a babyface against his diabolical cousin, instead pivoted to become "The Final Boss," a dastardly heel who christened his detractors as "Cody Crybabies." Rhodes and Johnson entangled themselves in a fierce rivalry that saw Johnson call out Rhodes' mother, beat "The American Nightmare" to a bloodied pulp in a parking lot, and helped Reigns gain a victory during Night One of WrestleMania 40, all to obstruct his rival's path to the WWE Universal Championship.

While it is unclear whether Johnson had any part in the original controversy that fired up the #WeWantCody movement, his position as a TKO executive — essentially, WWE's boss — may imply some internal politicking around the situation. As it stands, Johnson is not expected to revive his WrestleMania 40 woes, as he is currently not confirmed to be involved in the 2025 event in any capacity.

Another Dwayne Johnson controversy stems from his Christmas action movie, "Red One." Despite priding himself on his hard work ethic, Johnson was reported to be extremely unprofessional on the set of the film.

The reports claim that Johnson was often late to the set of "Red One" by an estimated 7-8 hours, which is over half of a filming day if the allegations are to be believed. Sources close to Johnson's other productions, such as "Rampage," "Ballers," and "Red Notice," corroborated claims of his chronic tardiness. One "Ballers" crew member commented that Johnson's lateness actually qualified them for health insurance, as it resulted in 14-hour workdays. Johnson's scheduling issues on the set of "Red One" reportedly caused the film's budget to balloon by $50 million.

Elsewhere, reports from those close to "Red One's" production also claimed that Johnson had an odd habit of urinating into water bottles while on-set to save himself the time it would take to properly use the restroom. Johnson would then task an unfortunate "Red One" production assistant with discarding his waste. Johnson's hypocritical use of time and overall baffling behavior caused a social media storm, with several netizens gobsmacked at his alleged inappropriate practices.

This isn't the first time that Johnson has been publicly associated with odd bathroom behavior. The actor has been open about his habit of urinating into water bottles when he's at the gym in order to save time from overly frequent bathroom visits.

While Dwayne Johnson may have a poor track record regarding his water bottle habits and lateness, some sources close to "Red One's" production came forward to claim that he was typically no more than an hour late to set. Amazon MGM sources also supported Johnson, claiming that "Red One's" budget fluctuation fell within the 15% industry standard, and that the tardiness allegations against the actor were false. 

As of writing, the Christmas-themed action movie only garnered $284 million at the box office, compared to its reported budget of $250 million. It is presumed that this figure includes the $50 million surplus Johnson was alleged to have added to the production costs. The good news, though, is that the movie has been a hit on streaming.

Johnson may be one of the most popular wrestlers and actors of his time, but it seems that many fans of soured on him. Johnson seems to be doing just fine without public approval, with a spot on the TKO executive board and multiple business ventures on his agenda. If his "The Rock's" Bad Blood 2024 appearance says anything, it's that WWE is still open to working with "The Final Boss," regardless of his public reception.