Dwayne Johnson was left heartbroken after his divorce from his first wife, Dany Garcia
. They had met and fallen in love during college and had been married for just over ten years
when they decided to part ways.
So when Dwayne met Lauren Hashian, he was nowhere near ready for another relationship.
Lauren had also just gone through a pretty big breakup herself.
So how did this couple overcome their heartache and find love and healing in one another?
Dwayne Johnson first met singer and songwriter Lauren Hashian back in 2006 on the set of
the beloved comedy, The Game Plan.
At the time, Dwyane was married to his college sweetheart, Dany Garcia, but by then, their
marriage had crumbled, and the pair was busy working through their split.
The former couple also shares a daughter together, Simone Alexandra Johnson.
The actor shared about the first moment he met Lauren, "Within 30 seconds, I thought,
'Wow, this girl's stunning."
He added, "Ironically, when you're not looking for something, the power of the universe kind
of takes over."
Johnson claims that Hashian began to speak to him at first but quickly hustled away,
excusing herself.
After that conversation, Johnson proclaimed that he was immediately fascinated by her.
It didn't take long for Lauren to become an important part of Dwayne's life.
The pair took their romance slow, both still healing their hearts after their respective
breakups.
However, the actor described the time that they started seeing each other as "very bad
and challenging," since he was struggling through a dark depression that followed his
divorce from Garcia.
Things didn't get easier for Dwayne after he suffered the loss of his close friend and
Fast & Furious co-star Paul Walker in 2013.
Lauren was with him when he found out about the sudden death of Paul.
The actor shared, "I was driving with Lauren when she immediately turned very quiet and
was looking at me, studying, wondering if I knew.
I pulled over and looked at my messages and had a moment where I just caught my breath."
Dwayne added that both he and Lauren said a prayer in the car to send Paul's daughter,
Meadow Walker, strength.
Both Johnson and Walker had bonded over their shared experiences, going through a divorce,
having young daughters, and they often spoke about "the power of being a dad" and the "strong
connection of a dad and his girl."
He confessed that after he found out about Paul's passing, both he and Lauren went home
and "started bawling."
Despite having gone through a dark time and suffering from depression, Lauren's support
for Dwayne was unwavering.
She stood by his side and gave him the strength he needed to get through his dark days, and
she was always there to make his days brighter and better.
During an interview, Johnson briefly opened up about Hashian as he talked about finding
love again after his divorce.
He shared, "I was so fortunate to have fallen in love once," Johnson said.
"To fall in love again?
That's a hard thing to do twice in the position I'm in.
I'm one lucky son of a bitch."
What's more, is that Johnson's ex-wife, Dany, opened up about how they were able to maintain
a respectful friendship even after their split, and they worked together to co-parent their
daughter.
She said, "He has a strong sense of family.
We have that extra layer of trust that can only come from family.
We are just a different family, and we keep adding new people."
In 2013, almost six years after they first started dating, Johnson and Hashian walked
the first red carpet together as they attended the premiere of G.I.
Joe: Retaliation in Hollywood.
During another interview, Dwayne spoke about the importance of making sure that Lauren
and his daughter aren't forgotten about when he's out in the spotlight.
He explained that his family is a huge part of who he is and his success, and it's important
that they get the recognition they deserve.
The actor shared that he likes to make sure that there is a balance between his home life
and his work life and that Lauren and his daughter have their place by his side.
He added, "You gotta get the better half in there.
With all the cool shit and success that I've been lucky enough to get?
That doesn't happen unless the home life is solid."
In 2015, Johnson and Hashian welcomed a baby girl named Jasmine Lia.
The newborn marked the first child for Hashian and the second for Johnson.
The actor shared the exciting news on his Instagram, captioning, "Christmas came early!
Within minutes of being born she was laying on daddy's chest.
And being a grateful man takes on a whole new meaning."
Adding that both he and Lauren are "extremely grateful" for their new bundle of joy.
After Johnson was named PEOPLE's Sexiest Man Alive in 2016, he opened up about how he thought
Hashian might react to his new title.
He shared, "First of all, she teases me about everything.
Everything,"
Dwayne then joked that she held back her taunts about that title because, naturally, she was
in full agreement, adding, "She already thinks I'm the Sexiest Man Alive."
During his cover story interview, Johnson also opened up about how they have "the greatest
relationship," because they know how to make each other laugh.
"Nothing is off limits in our house.
And it's the beauty of it.
And I tease her with everything."
Just one year later, Dwayne announced that he and Hashian were expecting another child
together.
He shared the news on Instagram with a cute photo of their daughter, captioning, "Our
Jasmine Lia would like to make a big announcement – IT'S A GIRL."
Adding that, they were "boundlessly grateful" to be welcoming their second baby girl in
the spring.
At the beginning of 2018, the couple's family was joined by a baby girl they named Tiana
Gia Johnson gushed that he was "blessed and proud" to bring another "strong girl" into
the world and that she came in like "a force of nature."
Of course, he couldn't forget to share that Lauren delivered their baby "like a true rockstar."
And yet, even though they had welcomed two beautiful daughters together, there seemed
to be no plans for a wedding.
Johnson was often asked if they had gotten married yet, or if they were at least planning
to make things official.
However, the actor explained why they hadn't made it down the aisle.
He confessed, "My divorce did a number on me.
I wasn't fearful of getting married again, there was just some hesitancy."
But Hashian never once took it personally.
He added, "Lauren was incredibly patient: 'I love you, you love me, we have this amazing
life together—no presh.'"
After all, they were already partners in every sense beyond all the legal paperwork.
Johnson went on to say, "I just refer to her as my wife all the time.
So a lot of people are like, 'Oh, did you get married?'
I'm like, 'No.
Easy.
Don't rush big daddy.'"
What people didn't know is that after the couple welcomed their first daughter, Jasmine,
in 2015, it wasn't a question of "if" he was going to marry Lauren; it was more about "when"
they were going to get married.
He explained that seeing Lauren bring their daughter into the world changed his perspective
on everything.
The couple was initially planning on getting married around 2017, but then, as Johnson
described it, "We got pregnant.
And Mama don't wanna take wedding pictures with a big belly—Mama wanna look good."
So they decided to postpone their wedding plans till after they welcomed their second
daughter in 2018.
Lauren's second pregnancy came as a surprise to them both, and the couple was so excited
about it that they had no problem with having to move their wedding to a later date.
In a 2018 Mother's Day tribute, the actor gushed over Lauren, sharing, "I'm in constant
respect and grateful awe of all the things this incredible mama accomplishes on a daily
basis."
He was impressed by her talents as a "lyrically gifted" storyteller, he continued, and her
ability to multitask, but what stunned him the most was that "Lauren does it all with
a big genuine smile and is truly the kindest and sweetest soul you'll ever meet...Of all
the human beings on this earth she could have as her partner—she chose me.
One big, brown, bald, tattooed, very lucky SOB."
After over a decade of dating, Johnson and Hashian officially tied the knot in 2019 during
an intimate ceremony in Hawaii.
Following their nuptials, the couple shared a handful of wedding photos, which included
their two daughters as flower girls.
The couple was determined to make sure that their wedding was as private as it could be.
There were no wedding planners involved; everything at the wedding was created by hand and organized
by their family and staff at the Hawaiian venue.
He shared, "The end results were spectacular."
The actor remained blown away that no one had caught wind of their intentions before
they could share it on their own terms.
The couple had expected their wedding to be swarmed by the press, and they even hired
a security detail in case there were helicopters that hovered around the location.
Luckily, their plans remained a secret.
He confessed, "No one knew.
I was shocked but so grateful.
My life is so loud and noisy; the fact that it was quiet was a big win."
On their first wedding anniversary in 2020, Hashian celebrated by releasing a heartfelt
song that she first presented privately to Johnson during their wedding a year prior.
Lauren shared in the press release," 'Step into a Love Like This' is the most personal
and rewarding song I've ever written."
She went on to explain that the song was personal because she surprised Dwayne with the song
on their wedding day in front of their family and friends.
So the song held a lot of sentimental value and meaning to her.
The following year, Johnson brought his blended family together for the premiere of his film
Red Notice.
For the event, he was joined by Hashian, his mother, Ata Johnson, and his ex-wife Dany
Garcia.
And the film was truly a family affair since it was Garcia who actually produced the film
alongside Johnson, and Hashian co-wrote the song "On the Run" for the movie.
Dwayne shared the occasion on Instagram, captioning, "So proud for everyone, and proud to share
it together with all of the energy in the air this evening!!"
There's no doubt that Dwayne and Lauren take the term "blended" family to another level.
Dwayne has gone to prove that time and time again, he is a husband and father first, and
he wouldn't be where he is without the family that had supported him from the beginning.
We are so happy for him, and we wish him and his family all the best!