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Dwayne Johnson has found incredible success in Hollywood, becoming a one-name wonder known worldwide as The Rock. The actor has starred in some of the biggest blockbusters, including Jumanji, The Mummy Returns, and the Fast & Furious franchise, and even lent his voice to the demigod Maui in Disney’s hit Moana.
But before Hollywood, Johnson rose to fame as a WWE superstar — and now his eldest daughter, Simone Johnson, is carrying on the family legacy in the wrestling world. After signing with WWE in 2020, Simone made her televised debut on NXT on October 25, 2022, under the ring name Ava Raine.
Since then, she has continued to build her presence in the company, including a notable moment in 2025 when she announced that the men’s and women’s WWE Speed Championships would officially become part of the NXT brand. Though she’s faced both praise and controversy, Simone has firmly established herself as a new voice in WWE.
Find out all about Simone, below!
Simone Is The Rock’s Eldest Daughter
Simone, born August 14, 2001, is the daughter Dwayne shares with his first wife, Dany Garcia, who is a producer and founder of The Gracia Companies. The former couple were married from 1997 to 2008, and Simone is their only child together. Dwayne also shares daughters Jasmine and Tiana with his second wife, Lauren Hashian.
She Worked as a Model & Golden Globe Ambassador
Before stepping into the ring, Simone followed in her father’s Hollywood footsteps as a model. She signed with powerhouse agency IMG Models and quickly made her mark. In 2018, she was named the first-ever Golden Globe Ambassador for the 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards.
“I’ve been lucky enough to grow up in a household with strong role models and feel so honored to represent the HFPA for its 75th Anniversary,” Simone said at the time. “As the newly minted Golden Globe Ambassador, I hope to serve as a role model to young people everywhere and empower them to speak out on issues they are passionate about.”
She Made History in WWE
In 2020, Simone signed a developmental contract with WWE at just 18 years old, making history as the first fourth-generation wrestler in the company’s history, following in the footsteps of her great-grandfather “High Chief” Peter Maivia, her grandfather “Soulman” Rocky Johnson, and of course, her dad, The Rock.
Announcing the milestone on Instagram, Simone shared a photo of herself in a WWE T-shirt with the caption: “To the little girl who fell in love with wrestling & said ‘this will be my life one day,’ this is for you. I’m humbled, grateful & ready to work. Let’s do this. @wwe @wwenxt.”
She later revealed her official ring name, Ava Raine, in May 2022. She was immediately slammed over the name, with one critic writing, “Giving Simone Johnson, the daughter of THE ROCK, a new name is completely nonsensical. Will hold judgement until she debuts, but if WWE doesn’t acknowledge her dad is The Rock that’s ridiculous.”
Simone pushed back, posting, “I probably sound like a broken record & hopefully this is the last I’ll mention this, but I don’t understand why people being portrayed as separate individuals from their family name is such a heated topic. A name doesn’t discredit any prior accomplishments from any family.” She later added, “I could build my entire career around my father & people would still bash me anyway.”
She Overcame a Knee Injury Before Her WWE Debut
Shortly after joining WWE, Simone suffered a knee injury in September 2020 that required surgery. She had previously undergone three other knee operations, making it her fourth overall. After her recovery, she finally made her televised debut in October 2022 on NXT as Ava Raine.
“[S]o tomorrow i’m having knee surgery for the third time,” Simone tweeted at the time. “[A]s not fun as surgery is, i’m looking forward to my knees not popping out anymore[.]”
so tomorrow i’m having knee surgery for the third time. as not fun as surgery is, i’m looking forward to my knees not popping out anymore✌🏽🙃
that said, please send me video games suggestions, movie suggestions (preferably scary) or anything else to help pass the time
— A V A (@avawwe_) September 13, 2020
She Balances WWE With Public Scrutiny
Since her debut, Simone has continued to grow her presence in WWE, even announcing in 2025 that the men’s and women’s WWE Speed Championships would officially be part of NXT. She’s also faced challenges in the public eye, including backlash over a social media repost following Charlie Kirk’s death.
and i’ll stand behind this.
be kind, now more than ever.
— A V A (@avawwe_) September 11, 2025
She reposted a message on X that read, “If you want people to have kind words when you pass, you should say kind things when you’re alive,” and added the comment, “And I’ll stand behind this. Be kind, now more than ever.” Many fans interpreted her post as a direct reference to Charlie’s death, sparking criticism and even calls for WWE to take action.
