Dwayne Johnson shares a very special bond with his personal trainer which is so bizarre, some fans can't believe it. Photo / Instagram
Dwayne Johnson shares a very special bond with his personal trainer which is so bizarre, some fans can't believe it. Photo / Instagram
When you're the personal trainer of the biggest (no pun intended) and highest paid actor in Hollywood, you're bound to get some attention.
David Rienzi has been Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's strength and conditioning coach for about seven years and in that time he has gone on to make headlines for being the man behind the former wrestler's impressive physique.
But what many people probably don't know about Rienzi is that the 34-year-old is actually married to Johnson's ex-wife, Dany Garcia, 50.
(L-R) Dave Rienzi, Dany Garcia, Simone Garcia Johnson, and Dwayne Johnson attend The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo / Getty Images
"5 Years ago today, I married the woman of my dreams. Happy Anniversary to the love of my life and my queen," Rienzi posted on Instagram in March.
And yes, Johnson is totally fine with it, hence the reason why Rienzi still has a job.
While some fans still find it a bit bizarre, they have commended the men on their maturity.
"Crazy how his trainer is with his ex-wife. Shows respect between the two and maturity," one person commented in a YouTube clip of Johnson training for his latest photo shoot.
"Not only is this guy The Rocks fitness trainer .. he's also married to Rocks ex wife lol. No joke. Google it. Thank me later," said another.
"You might not have known but his trainer (The guy speaking) is actually married to The Rocks ex-wife that's pretty dope they can co-exist."
"I'm sure the guy would never even try to piss the rock off," another joked.
JOHNSON AND GARCIA AREN'T LIKE MOST HOLLYWOOD EX'S
In a typical world, you probably wouldn't hire your ex's new husband as your personal trainer but Johnson and Garcia didn't have the standard Hollywood divorce story.
Johnson and Garcia met at the University of Miami where he was on a football scholarship and she was studying international marketing and finance.
Not long after in 1997, they decided to tie the knot before welcoming their first child together, Simone Alexandra Johnson, who is now 17 years old.
Johnson was 25 when he married Garcia who was four years his senior, and their relationship lasted 11 years before they amicably decided to separate in May 2008.
Despite their failed marriage, Johnson and Garcia are still good friends and have managed to do the impossible in Hollywood — build a highly successful business together.
They run the production company Seven Bucks which they founded in 2012. It is currently backing their latest wrestling film, Fighting With My Family.
Dany and Dwayne were married for 11 years before they separated but they still remain friends. Photo / Getty Images
The studio is reportedly named after an event in Johnson's earlier life, where he has "only seven bucks" in his pocket after leaving his football career.
Garcia has continued to be right alongside Johnson, supporting him through his multiple career transitions, from an aspiring professional football player, to star wrestler and now actor/mogul.
Garcia, a former vice president of the reputable investment company Merrill Lynch, is still Johnson's manager and actually had a lot to do with his transformation into a global powerhouse.
In an interview with Marie Claire, Dany relayed her numerous experiences in talking to agents and lawyers on behalf of Johnson, using her educational background to provide crucial financial guidance for Johnson — who from June 2017 to June 2018 earned $US124 million.
Johnson and Garcia have gone on to prove they can still have a civil relationship — which was tested even more when Garcia went on to marry Johnson's personal trainer David Rienzi, six years after their divorce.
They met each other during one of the The Rock's fitness routines with Dave.
That same year when they got married in 2014, when Reinzi, a bodybuilder, came third in the IFBB North American, Johnson described him as "one of the best dudes I know".
"Congrats to my strength coach & one of the best dudes I know," Johnson tweeted on the day of the event back in September 2014.
Johnson still considers Rienzi a good friend and has continued to give him all the credit for his incredible fitness.
If you have an Instagram account, chances are you have seen footage of his legendary workout regimen which he often posts to his 124 million Instagram followers.
"My training is intense, nasty, extreme, unapologetic and hard core. But always fun," Johnson described in a recent post.
Dave too shares the crazy workouts he makes Johnson do, particularly in the lead up to photo shoots.
For his most recent shoot with Under Armour, Dave described his client as being in the best shape of his life.
Rienzi is ultimately tasked with helping Johnson to grow and evolve, even after a 20-plus year career in sports and entertainment. "A lot of people at his age are trying to maintain a physique," he told Men's Health. "We're trying to evolve the physique. It's very unique."
The men have been friends for years — long before Dave swooped in on Johnson's ex.
But Johnson too has moved on with his life. Although he has not remarried, he has been in a relationship with partner Lauren Hashian since 2008. The pair met on the set of The Game Plan in 2007 and started dating a year later. The couple share two daughters together — Tiana Gia Johnson and Jasmine Johnson.
There were rumours that his relationship with Lauren is what caused his marriage to fail, but this has not been confirmed, not even by Dany.
HOW THE ROCK AND HIS EX-WIFE REMAIN SO CIVIL
In the lead up to the release of their new film Fighting With My Family, the former couple opened up to Good Morning America about how they turned their failed marriage into a successful business partnership.
A 46-year-old Johnson joked, "Therapy," before Garcia added, "Friendship and the expansion of wanting what's best for everyone. Wanting what's best in his life, wanting what's best in my life."
In a separate interview with Marie Claire — Garcia said that while some people go through separation and there's no conversation "that was never us".
"We went on this journey together. We were going to change the manner of the relationship together. We spoke every day, and multiple times a day — not only on business, but on what was happening personally."
It was when Johnson was struggling with his acting career after wrestling when their unique approach to their relationship helped pave their next steps.
"He had lost a lot of weight to fit certain parts, and he said, 'I can't do this anymore. I need to be me.' I supported him and said, 'Let's do you. That's all we need to do. Let's make Hollywood make room for you,'" Garcia explained.
And to this day, the former couple continue to kick goals in the industry with their joint business and unique friendship.
Their amicable bond also helps them co-parent their daughter, Simone Johnson. The 17-year-old is currently training to compete in the WWE, where Johnson began his career.
"When Dany had Simone, and I was fortunate enough to be her father, at … 29 I was still trying to find myself," Johnson explained on Good Morning America. "I was flying by the seat of my pants at that time. I was in WWE.... As she's going into a business that I have enjoyed over the years. It's brought us even closer together."
