Dwayne Johnson gave brilliant gift to man who helped him when he was homeless

Dwayne Johnson once gave the most incredible gift to the man who helped him when he was homeless as a teenager.

Now, Johnson's rise to fame is nothing short of meteoric. He was at one point homeless as a teenager and he even missed out on making the NFL draft. But he later became one of the biggest names in the WWF - now WWE - and then the highest paid actor in the world.

To this day, the 50-year-old remembers the people who helped him along the way to achieve his dreams.

And years later, Johnson - also known as The Rock - tried to return the favour to a man who took him in when he was evicted from his home in Hawaii as a kid.

That man was Bruno Lauer, who let Johnson stay with him in a 'tiny room' at a hotel.

Writing about that period in a post on Instagram back in 2020, Johnson said: "My mom and I were evicted off the island of Hawaii and I was sent to Nashville, Tennessee to live with my dad.

"When I landed in Nashville, I quickly found out I wasn’t gonna live with my dad. Sh*t happens, plans change and that’s the way it goes.

"Instead, I told I was gonna live with a guy named Bruno, who at the time lived in a tiny room at a spot called the Alamo Plaza motel.

@therock/Instagram

"Bruno could’ve (and should’ve) said, 'Hell no, I’m not takin’ in some kid who I don’t know'. But he didn’t.

"He took this punk kid in and we became lifelong friends."

Almost a decade later, at the time of the 'infamous $7 bucks in my pocket' story, 'The Rock' was trying to launch his wrestling career in Memphis, and again Lauer offered him a helping hand, letting him stay in his trailer while he got back on his feet.

He even gave him "his last $40 bucks" so The Rock could "hustle a crackhead out of his car one night at a honky tonk in Nashville".

"But the hustle was on me, because when I took off down the road there was a second crackhead passed out on the floor in the back," the former wrestling star added.

@therock/Instagram

So to thank him for his generosity, Johnson gifted Lauer a brand new motor - this time without the crackhead.

"I love you, brother. Your kindness and heart – helped change my life’s trajectory. And when you’re ready to retire from the business you just say the word. I got you covered," said the actor.

"Enjoy your new ride and give Walls, Mississippi my love and gratitude."

Overwhelmed, Lauer said: "I can’t believe it, I love you so much, before this, without this, with nothing. I love you man, not ‘cause of this, ‘cause of who you are."