From college sweethearts to business moguls: how Dany Garcia and Dwayne Johnson built an empire
Dany Garcia and Dwayne Johnson are one of Hollywood's most extraordinary stories — not of a marriage, but of what came after one. The pair met as college athletes, married in 1997, and divorced in 2008, yet never stopped building together. Today they co-run Seven Bucks Productions, a media empire worth billions at the box office, while Garcia remains Johnson's manager and closest business partner. Few ex-couples redefine divorce quite like this.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Dany Garcia (born 29 November 1968) and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson (born 2 May 1972) married on 3 May 1997 and divorced in 2008.
- They share one daughter, Simone Alexandra Johnson (born 14 August 2001), a professional WWE wrestler.
- Garcia co-founded Seven Bucks Productions with Johnson in 2012 and remains his manager to this day.
- In 2020, Garcia made history as the first woman to co-own an entire professional sports league when they acquired the XFL.
- Seven Bucks Productions has grossed $4.6 billion at the worldwide box office by 2023.
Profile summary
Detail | Information |
Full name | Dany Garcia Rienzi |
Date of birth | 29 November 1968 |
Birthplace | Belleville, New Jersey, USA |
Nationality | American |
Education | University of Miami (BBA, International Marketing & Finance, 1992) |
Occupation | CEO, The Garcia Companies; producer; investor; bodybuilder |
Married to Dwayne Johnson | 3 May 1997 – 2008 (divorced) |
Current spouse | Dave Rienzi (married March 2014) |
Children | Simone Alexandra Johnson |
Notable companies | Seven Bucks Productions, The Garcia Companies, GSTQ |
Net worth (est.) | $40 million |
How did Dany Garcia and Dwayne Johnson meet?
The two met at the University of Miami in the early 1990s. Johnson arrived on a football scholarship, while Garcia pursued an undergraduate degree in Business Administration.
They shared common interests in sports, business, and showbiz, and after dating for a few years, they married in May 1997.
From athletes to newlyweds
Both were competitive athletes with ambitions far beyond the campus. Garcia herself competes as a professional IFBB Pro Women's Physique Bodybuilder. Johnson, meanwhile, was starting to make his name in professional wrestling.
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The name Seven Bucks Productions references the amount of money Johnson had in his pocket after he was released from the CFL in 1995, before he signed with WWE in 1996. It is a detail Garcia still uses to frame their shared philosophy of building from nothing.
Their daughter: Simone Alexandra Johnson
They had one child together — a daughter they named Simone — in August 2001. Simone Alexandra Garcia Johnson went on to become a professional WWE wrestler, performing under the ring names Ava and Ava Raine, and appeared as the on-screen general manager of the NXT brand.
On The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon in 2020, The Rock said about Simone signing with WWE at 18:
First of all, what an honour that my daughter wants to follow in my footsteps — but she actually wants to create and blaze her own path.
He added:
She wound up being the youngest signee in the history of the company.
Why did The Rock and Dany Garcia split?
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On 1 June 2007, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and his then wife of ten years, Dany Garcia, announced that they were separating amicably. About six years after Simone's birth, they realised the nature of their relationship was evolving and decided to end their romantic involvement. The divorce was finalised in May 2008.
Johnson later acknowledged his own struggles and mental health challenges during the marriage. Speaking about that period in a 2011 interview with CNN, he said:
I don't quite know what my expectation of marriage was back then. I had made a lot of mistakes, and I didn't have the ability or the wherewithal or the capacity to stop for a moment and say, 'God, I'm really screwing up.
Reflecting directly on the emotional toll of the divorce during his November 2025 appearance on The Hollywood Reporter's Awards Chatter podcast, Johnson opened up about his mental health at the time:
When you guys get married, as a few of you may know, you sign up for the long haul, but then it doesn't always work out like that. And then it rocks you like it rocked me.
Are The Rock and Dany Garcia still friends?
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Yes — and then some. Johnson and film producer Garcia have a dynamic that doesn't fit the usual Hollywood storyline. They divorced in 2007, but instead of going their separate ways, they built a long-standing business partnership.
Dany went on to marry Dave Rienzi in 2014, and the former couple maintained a positive co-parenting journey while building a successful working relationship. In March 2014, Garcia married Dave Rienzi — a fitness coach, and not just any kind. He is The Rock's strength and conditioning coach.
Johnson reflected on how their post-divorce partnership evolved, during an interview with Sway’s Universe:
While marriage wasn't in our cards, we did realize, 'Well, wait a second, we're building something that's pretty cool. Marriage may not be in our cards but building business can be.' And that took time.
Is Dany Garcia still The Rock's manager?
In 2008, she began managing her ex-husband Dwayne Johnson's career. More than 17 years later, she still holds that role. Garcia is the Global Strategic Advisor for all of Johnson's business ventures.
Source: Getty Images
Seven Bucks Productions: from seven dollars to billions
Seven Bucks Productions is an American production company specialising in film, television, and other media, co-founded by Johnson and Garcia in 2012.
It produces a variety of projects, usually directly in relation to Johnson's acting roles, and its theatrical releases crossed $4.6 billion at the box office by 2023.
Films produced under the label include:
- Baywatch (2017)
- Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)
- Hobbs & Shaw (2019)
- Jungle Cruise (2021)
- Red Notice (2021)
- Black Adam (2022)
The Garcia Companies and beyond
Garcia is the CEO and chair of The Garcia Companies, overseeing a portfolio of brands in business, entertainment, and food. She also founded GSTQ, whose portfolio includes Teremana Tequila, Athleticon, the Project Rock Collection at Under Armour, VOSS, Atom Tickets, Salt & Straw, ZOA Energy, Acorns, and the UFL.
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In 2020, the American entrepreneur Garcia made history as the first woman to own an entire professional sports league, acquiring the XFL alongside Johnson. In 2023, she spearheaded its merger with the United States Football League to form the United Football League (UFL).
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She has appeared on Hollywood Reporter's Women in Entertainment Power 100, Variety's 500 Most Important People in Global Media, and Entrepreneur's Women of Influence.
Latest news
Seven Bucks signs first-look deal with Disney
20th Television closed a first-look TV deal with Seven Bucks Productions in February 2025. The pact brought Seven Bucks fully under the Walt Disney Co. umbrella after the label had signed a first-look deal with the Disney movie studio the previous June to develop films for theatrical and streaming.
Under the Disney film deal, Seven Bucks is producing a live-action remake of Moana, in which Johnson also plays Maui, and a live-action film set in the world of motorsports, Monster Jam.
Dive crime thriller series in development
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A new crime thriller series, Dive, is in development at ABC in partnership with 20th Television and Seven Bucks Productions. Masterminded by Jack Ryan and Halo showrunner Steven Kane, the series is set in New Orleans.
Seven Bucks backs Portia Woodman-Wickliffe documentary
Seven Bucks Productions announced a feature documentary on two-time Olympic gold medallist Portia Woodman-Wickliffe. Undeniable: Portia Woodman will be directed by New Zealand filmmaker Zoë McIntosh.
Garcia said via RugbyPass:
Rugby is built on legacy, identity, resilience and pride, which are exactly the kinds of stories we want to bring to audiences at Seven Bucks Productions.
Dany Garcia's net worth
While conservative estimates by outlets like Celebrity Net Worth place Garcia's net worth at an estimated $40 million, industry analysts suggest her overall business portfolio is worth significantly more. She built her wealth through executive leadership, production deals, investments, her fashion brand GSTQ, and her historic ownership stake in the United Football League.
Source: Getty Images
Her primary sources of income include:
- Film and television production revenues via Seven Bucks Productions
- Talent management through The Garcia Companies
- Sports enterprise ownership — United Football League (UFL)
- Brand stakes & investments — Teremana Tequila, GSTQ, ZOA Energy, VOSS, and Acorns
- Early finance career — former Associate Vice President at Merrill Lynch
FAQs
- Why did Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia divorce? They separated in June 2007 after realising their romantic relationship had run its course. Dwayne Johnson later admitted he made mistakes during the marriage. Their divorce was finalised in May 2008.
- Are Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia still friends? Yes. They co-parent their daughter Simone, and Garcia remains Johnson's manager and producing partner at Seven Bucks Productions more than 17 years after their divorce.
- Did Dwayne Johnson have kids with Dany Garcia? Yes — one daughter, Simone Alexandra Johnson (born 14 August 2001), who is now a professional WWE wrestler performing as Ava.
- Is Dany Garcia still The Rock's manager? Yes. Garcia has managed Johnson's career since 2008 and serves as his Global Strategist Advisor across all business ventures.
- Who is Dany Garcia married to now? Garcia has been married to Dave Rienzi since March 2014. Rienzi is Dwayne Johnson's personal strength and conditioning coach.
- What is Dany Garcia's net worth? Garcia's net worth is estimated at approximately $40 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth, built across film production, talent management, sports ownership, and brand investments.
- What is Seven Bucks Productions? Garcia and Johnson co-founded the production company in 2012. The name references the seven dollars Johnson had in his pocket when he was cut from the CFL in 1995. It has grossed $4.6 billion at the box office.
- What does "Dany Garcia and Dwayne Johnson daughter" mean in wrestling? Their daughter, Simone Alexandra Johnson, is a fourth-generation WWE wrestler. She performs as Ava and has served as the on-screen general manager of WWE NXT.
Quick facts
- Garcia co-founded Seven Bucks Productions in 2012 with Dwayne Johnson.
- She became the first woman to co-own an entire professional sports league (the XFL) in 2020.
- The Garcia Companies portfolio has grossed $4.6 billion at the box office as of 2023.
- Garcia is an active IFBB Pro Women's Physique Bodybuilder.
- She serves on the University of Miami Board of Trustees.
Dany Garcia and Dwayne Johnson’s journey proves that a relationship can evolve long after a marriage ends. From college sweethearts to trusted business partners, they have built an impressive empire rooted in ambition, resilience and a shared vision. Their story is a striking example of how two people can turn a personal chapter into a lasting professional legacy.
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Source: Legit.ng
