From a struggling football enthusiast who had a hard time placing food on the table to a chubby wrestler – Rocky Salvia, “Dwayne the Rock Johnson” has done it all. From a fan favorite wrestler to earning “Entertainer of the Year” Image Award from NAACP, this guy’s transformation is an inspiration for every guy out there who wants to make a name for himself.
Rock’s story of fame isn’t under the dark shadow. Everyone who knows or follows him knows his career endeavor. However, hardly anyone talks about the girl that stood behind her from his undergrad days at the University of Miami.
Yes, that girl is Rock’s ex-wife, Dany Garcia – Manager & Business partner of the Rock as well as the CEO of Garcia Companies.
Garcia’s Early Lifestyle
Born on November 29, 1968, in New Jersey, Garcia is regarded as the empress of entertainment and media house. Having worked in the industry for over 20 years, she is definitely a force to reckon with.
However, things weren’t this smooth for her in early days. Her parents immigrated from Cuba when she was young. Although much isn’t known about her parents, she revealed that her father used to work in a body shop at 16 just to put her three kids to college.
During her early high school days, she was a band geek and played piano along with French horn. Born and raised in New Jersey, her parents later moved on to Florida where she graduated with a degree in International marketing & finance from Miami School of Business in 1992.
Due to her immense contribution to the community, she was also made the president of the University of Miami Alumni Association. In retrospect, she also managed to become the member of the Miami University Board of Trustee.
Dany’s Early encounter with the Rock
Rock and Dany met during their undergrad days at the University of Miami. 18 at that time, rock was a potential football player when he started dating Dany who was 22.
After dating for almost 7 years, the couple tied the knot on 1997. It was just after Rock’s major breakthrough in WWE scenes in 1996. In his autobiography, he often mentions about his struggle to place food on the table and inability to even rent an apartment. This was the time when Dany stood beside him. From her football days to Hollywood debut, she was also there in the background.
This is probably why even after the divorce, they maintain a healthy relationship with business associates.
Dany’s Personal Life: Divorce and Aftermath
After being married for a decade, the couple called off their marriage in 2007 and the divorce was finalized in 2008.
In an interview, Rock told how they took one year time to settle down from every bad wave of their relationship and looked from a different perspective.
Rock doesn’t shy away from giving credit to Garcia for helping him build an empire. This is probably the reason why he asked her to take the role of managing him as her full-time job. This was the most defining moment of her professional career.
The duo, however, has moved on from their respective past lives and shares an amazing bond with business partners.
Garcia who is 49 now married Rock’s fitness coach and bodybuilder, Dave Rienzi on March 29, 2014. Rock has been in the relationship with Lauren Hashian, singer, and songwriter since 2007. Many speculations were made that rock’s affair with Lauren could have been the cause of the divorce but the sources haven’t been validated yet.
Rock and Dany have a daughter named Simone Garcia Johnson born on August 14, 2001. Also for the 75th golden globes award, she was nominated to be the ambassador. Rock also has a two-year-old daughter with Lauren and expecting another kid in the coming year.
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Garcia’s younger brother Hiram Garcia has worked with Rock in his many projects including “The Scorpion King.” He was also appointed as the president of Seven Bucks.
Dany Garcia’s Professional Life’s Progression
After a setback from her personal life in 2008, Dany’s career took an amazing turn. With her truckload of experience managing the Rock during his early days in WWE as well as in Hollywood, she pioneered her own talent management company – The Garcia Companies. The company focuses primarily on strategic marketing and brand reputation of its clients.
She further went on to co-found Seven Bucks productions with her ex-husband and long-term client, Dwayne the “Rock” Johnson. It’s assumed that the name of her production company comes from her teenage days when she owned a horse named Buck. The company has been responsible for producing many successful projects like Juman Ji, Baywatch, and The HBO Hit Ballers.
Dany is known progressively for wearing many hats. From managing talents to making time for bodybuilding, the women have the skills to perform it all.
At a tender age of 12 where normally kids don’t have any sense of motivation and self-awareness, she claims to have the drive to be a millionaire just to be able to provide for his family. And fast forward, she is now recognized as the bonafide fireball in the entertainment industry.
Dany Garcia’s as a Bodybuilder and Philanthropist
Is there anything this woman can’t do?
The 5 feet 8-inch latino has a special corner for bodybuilding. She has competed in various bodybuilding events and also won the 4rth position in IFBBPro championship.
Dany has spent her life working as a social advocate and philanthropist. She is the founder of “The Beacon Experience,” foundation targeting the rights and developments of second graders in inner city schools. Through the medium of dedicated funds, tutorials, and scholarships, she supports the promising second graders.
She also showed support with Times Up Now foundation to help women fight through injustice and inequality in the workplace. This was the movement that started with #metoo from the recent Golden Globes Awards. She also used her media power to promote Hispanic community. In acknowledgment, she was also named as the “Bridge Builder Impacto Latino of the Year” in 2015 by the Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
Net worth and Social Media Presence
Being a media person herself, she has to keep up with latest news and updates. She regularly tweets and posts updates on her Instagram handle. At present, she makes a whopping $70 million from her ventures. With over 70 projects in development, the numbers are growing with her popularity in media. Follow her updates on Instagram and Twitter.