Dwayne Johnson's Reputation Is In Shambles & It's So Obvious

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's reputation has been on a downward spiral in recent years — and it's not because the star, known professionally as The Rock, decided to try his hand at a rap career (though we can't imagine that helped). The former wrestler-turned-actor has enjoyed major box office success throughout his career — most notably, for his roles in "Moana" and the "Fast and Furious" franchise — and yet Johnson's star seems to have dimmed a little. There seem to be several factors that have contributed to his declining star power, including, among other things, poor public perception and diminishing box office returns. 

Johnson's attempt to crowdfund public aid for the victims of the tragic Maui wildfires that took place in 2023 definitely didn't help his image. In August of that year, Johnson, who grew up in Hawaii, and Oprah Winfrey — who owns substantial property in the area — launched a fund to help aid the victims, in addition to their personal donations. "We're honored to announce the People's Fund of Maui, a fund putting money directly in the pockets of those who were affected by the recent wildfires," Winfrey wrote in an Instagram caption, alongside a video of her and Johnson launching their charitable initiative. Fans, however, were not impressed with the fact that Winfrey and Johnson weren't bankrolling the fund entirely on their own, given their substantial fortunes. Johnson, alone, is worth about $800 million, while Winfrey, a longtime billionaire, is worth about four times that.

And though Johnson eventually yielded to the public's concerns in an Instagram video, the initial plea is routinely brought up whenever discourse about the mega-star goes viral on social media (and the comments are rarely positive).

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson may not be one of the actors that Hollywood won't cast anymore, but his ability to consistently land work hasn't always ended in his favor. Although Johnson's films have grossed billions of the dollars in the box office, time has proven that his name isn't always enough to get butts in seats. Take, for example, the major box office failure that followed his starring role in "The Smashing Machine," a biography about former professional wrestler, Mark Kerr. According to Variety, the film cost $50 million in overhead costs, but only managed six million dollars in ticket sales during it's initial release, marking a stark departure from Johnson's previous box office success.

Johnson was even forced to confront his box office failure on Instagram in October of 2025. Alongside a photo of himself in character as Kerr, Johnson started by thanking the fans who did decide to see the film, before addressing its low ticket sales. "In our storytelling world, you can't control box office results — but what I realized you can control is your performance, and your commitment to completely disappear and go elsewhere," he wrote, adding, "And I will always run to that opportunity." Johnson also thanked the film's director, Benny Safdie, for believing in him. And despite the lackluster public response, Johnson also revealed that the "film has changed my life."

Unfortunately, the film also changed the public's perception of Johnson as a box office powerhouse, but hopefully, his upcoming projects will help him bounce back.