Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson is once again making headlines with his dramatic weight loss and powerful performance in his upcoming film. The 52-year-old stunned audiences at the Venice Film Festival after dropping nearly 60 pounds to play MMA legend Mark Kerr in The Smashing Machine. His emotional portrayal received a thunderous 15-minute standing ovation, sparking early Oscar buzz before the movie’s official release.
Dwayne Johnson’s dedication to transformation has once again impressed fans worldwide, with everyone lauding the actor for reinventing himself time and again. The former WWE champion pulled off the most successful pivot in Hollywood history when he transitioned from a legendary wrestler to one of the most successful actors standing today.
While The Rock has surely proved his mettle in the acting world, behind his meteoric rise from WWE star to one of Hollywood’s most bankable actors is a woman who knows him better than most. Here’s all you need to know about Dany Garcia, Dwayne’s trailblazer ex-wife, who’s a mogul in her own right.
Who is Dany Garcia?
The world might know Dany Garcia as Dwayne Johnson’s ex-wife, but she is a powerhouse woman in her own right. The 56-year-old is not only one of the most prestigious business moguls in the sports industry but also a producer and a trailblazer who helped rebrand The Rock from wrestler to global superstar.
Before she became a popular name in the entertainment industry, Dany Garcia worked as a banker at Merrill Lynch. She later founded her own wealth management firm, KDM Partners. After splitting up from Dwyane Johnson, she left her career in finance to become his manager and strategic advisor.
Fresh off their 2008 divorce, the GSTQ founder didn’t walk away. She took charge, stepping in as The Rock’s global strategic advisor. Just four years later, she co-launched Seven Bucks Productions, the Hollywood hit machine behind blockbusters like Baywatch (2017), Ballers, and Black Adam (2022), proving she could turn her ex into a box-office king.
How Dany Garcia helped launch Dwayne Johnson’s Hollywood career
When The Rock took his WWE persona to Hollywood, he initially struggled to make an impression and was advised to tone down his wrestling persona. However, it was Garcia who encouraged him to embrace his true self: charisma, muscles, and all.
In a 2023 interview with Marie Claire, Garcia revealed how this business decision ultimately saved Johnson’s Hollywood career and pulled him from depression. Speaking about how she managed the Rampage actor to make his mark in the industry, Dany said:
“In any partnership, you have to double down on the talent or the asset… It has to be more of a true belief: ‘Who are you and what are you passionate about? So Dwayne and I had a conversation. He had lost a lot of weight to fit certain parts, and he said, ‘I can’t do this anymore. I need to be me.’ I supported him and said, ‘Let’s do you. That’s all we need to do. Let’s make Hollywood make room for you’.”
The real turning point of Dwayne Johnson’s Hollywood career was when his ex-wife moved him from CAA to William Morris Endeavour. This strategic move helped him bag roles that matched his brand and helped with social media branding. This was the real game-changer that transformed Johnson from a struggling actor to one of the highest-paid actors in the world, with a net worth closing in on USD 1 billion.
Dany Garcia is a sports mogul
Besides being a strategic advisor and film producer, Garcia is a powerhouse business mogul and a pioneer in the sports industry. In 2020, Dany Garcia made history as the first woman to own an entire professional sports league, acquiring the XFL alongside Johnson. In 2023, she spearheaded its merger with the United States Football League to form the United Football League (UFL).
After her milestone achievement, her ex-husband publicly cheered her on. Johnson took to Instagram to praise Garcia, proudly calling her ‘the architect’ behind the historic deal. The Baywatch star wrote:
“I have the pleasure to illuminate this huge milestone in sports history. My XFL partner, [Dany Garcia], becomes the first woman to own an entire professional sports league. She was the architect in our strategic acquisition of the XFL, and now we proudly and humbly go to work with our partners – all for the love of football. Congrats Dany! Let’s get to work.”
Dany Garcia’s awards, recognition, and staggering net worth
There was a time when, after her divorce from Dwayne Johnson, Garcia became a topic of gossip when she was seen collaborating with and even managing her ex-husband. In several interviews, the entrepreneur has shared hearing whispers like ‘Why is she here?’ when she walked into the room with Johnson. And today, she is a trailblazer who refuses to let anything stop her.
Standing today, Dany Garcia is a highly influential personality in the business circles with plenty of accolades and awards added to her name. She has appeared on Hollywood Reporter’s Women in Entertainment Power 100, Variety’s 500 Most Important People in Global Media, and Entrepreneur’s Women of Influence. In 2024, ESPN even released a documentary, My Name is Dany Garcia, celebrating her as a ‘visionary businesswoman’ shaping the future of sports and entertainment.
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Garcia’s empire as of 2025 stands at an estimated USD 40 million. Behind her staggering portfolio lay her production ventures, investments, fitness brand GSTQ, and her groundbreaking role as co-owner of the United Football League. While Johnson is inching towards his billionaire status, Garcia has established her own empire, proving she’s every bit a mogul in her own right.
Inside Dany Garcia’s personal life
Besides being so many things in the professional domain, Dany Garcia has had quite a fulfilling personal life. Outside boardrooms and those glamorous red carpets, she is also a professional bodybuilder. After her divorce, Garcia settled with Johnson’s long-time trainer, Dave Rienzi, in 2014.
Though Johnson has since remarried singer Lauren Hashian, with whom he shares two daughters, he and Garcia remain close business partners. They also share Johnson’s eldest child, Simone Johnson, who is also following in her parents’ footsteps as a promising wrestler.
From banker to bodybuilder to billionaire businesswoman, Dany Garcia isn’t just The Rock’s ex-wife. She is the woman who believed in the pro wrestler when no one did and who made sure his Hollywood career never crumbled.
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