Dwayne Johnson rewarded his longtime friend and ally with a brand-new pickup truck.
In a sweet clip he shared on his Instagram account, The Rock gifted Bruno Lauer a new Ford F150 as he vowed to have the former wrestling manager covered when he decides to retire.
Mr. Lauer first took Johnson in when the Fast & Furious star was just 15 years old. After he and his mom got evicted from their Hawaii home, Johnson lived with Lauer in his trailer in Nashville.
During their time together, Bruno helped Johnson buy his first car and helped him kick off his wrestling career. Nine years after lending him a helping hand, Lauer once again took Johnson in when the Hollywood icon was going through rough times.
In the video he shared on his Instagram, Dwayne shows his friend a new Ford F150 and tells him that the car is for him.
Breaking into tears, Lauer says: “Nobody’s ever done anything like this for me before. I can’t believe it. I love you so much. Before this, without this, with nothing.”
After Johnson tells him he just wanted to show his appreciation for him, Lauer adds: “I’ll never forget this, oh my God … I love you man. Not because of this, [but] because of who you are. I can’t believe it. Thank you, man. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for putting him in my life.”
In a lengthy Instagram post, Johnson opened up about his friendship with Lauer as he presented the story behind their strong bond.
“My life (especially my teenage years) has been full of the wildest twists and turns – yet God and the universe had always found a way to put a few people in my path that would change the trajectory of the road I was going down,” the 48-year-old Hollywood star wrote.
“Meet one of my lifelong friends, Bruno Lauer — or I prefer to call him, ‘Downtown Bruno’. 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. S*** happens, plans change and that’s the way it goes. Instead, I [was] 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.
“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.”
The Rock added: “Then ironically – about 9 years later when I had the infamous ‘$7 Bucks’ in my pocket – I started my wrestling career in Memphis, Tennessee and AGAIN – had no place to live and Bruno took me and let me shake up in his trailer, til I could get on my feet.
“And hell, when I was 15yrs old, Bruno even gave me his last $40 bucks so I 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! Wild times at 15yrs old.
“Merry Christmas, Bruno and since you helped me ‘buy’ my first car – I figured I could return the favor and buy you one that 100% does NOT have a crackhead in the back seat.
“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. We’ll go ‘downtown.’ Enjoy your new ride and give Walls, Mississippi my love and gratitude.”
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Replaced!