Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson writes about his mother's suicide attempt

Dwayne”The Rock “Johnson wrote a moving post on Instagram about his mother’s suicide attempt, which happened when the actor was just fifteen.

The post was sparked by an emotional scene he filmed on his (excellent) HBO series Ballers that involved a suicide.

There are spoilers below, so if you’re a fan, read with caution.

“Not your typical scene on our comedy #ballers, as I cracked a beer open toasting my character’s brother, William who committed suicide. Got me thinkin’ though bout how many of us have been affected by suicide of our friends, family. Struggle and pain is real. We’ve all been there on some level or another.

“My mom tried to check out when I was 15. She got outta the car on Interstate 65 in Nashville and walked into oncoming traffic. Big rigs and cars swerving outta the way not to hit her. I grabbed her and pulled her back on the gravel shoulder of the road.

“What’s crazy about that suicide attempt is to this day, she has no recollection of it whatsoever. Probably best she doesn’t. Shits of a scene to shoot – didn’t like it – but it did reminder that we always gotta do our best to really pay attention when people are in pain. Help ‘em thru it, get ‘em talkin’ about the struggle and remind ‘em that they’re not alone. We got lucky that day when I was 15 and that ain’t always the case.”

If you or someone you love are struggling, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.