The 21-year-old professional wrestler started her career in 2020.
Ava Raine has officially stepped into the ring! Dwayne Johnson’s daughter, Simone Johnson, made her historic WWE debut on Tuesday night during NXT. During the broadcast of the show -- which is dedicated to the next generation of WWE stars -- Simone, known professionally as Ava Raine, was announced as one of the members of Schism.
Simone stood in the background with a yellow smiley face mask and a red hoodie as other members of the wrestling team were announced. When she was finally revealed, the audience cheered in both shock and delight as she pledged her allegiance to her squad.
"The love and acceptance the Schism has given me defies any preconceived notions of who I’m supposed to be," she said. "This family completes me."
Simone is the first fourth-generation wrestler in the history of WWE. Simone follows her father, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who retired from the organization in 2004, Dwayne's father, “Soul Man” Rocky Johnson, and Dwayne's grandfather, Prince Peter Maivia aka “The High Chief.”
Simone’s great-grandmother, Lia Maivia, was one of the first female wrestling promoters.
Simone’s career officially started in 2020. However, prior to making her debut, she faced a setback as she had to undergo surgery to repair a knee injury.
The 21-year-old has been vocal about those who have questioned her loyalty to her wrestling lineage. In July -- after announcing her name -- Simone had a message for the haters via social media.
"I probably sound like a broken record & hopefully this is the last i’ll mention this but i don’t understand why people being portrayed as separate individuals from their family name is such a heated topic," she tweeted in response to one user who questioned her decision. "A name doesn’t discredit any prior accomplishments from any family."
"i could build my entire career around my father & people would still bash me anyway," she continued in another tweet.
Her father, though, couldn’t be more proud of her. Earlier this year, the Black Adam star spoke with ET about his oldest daughter’s accomplishment.
"She's fourth, [generation]," Johnson said. "She's made history. Very very proud of her."
The former wrestling pro added, "She is fiercely independent. It’s very important for her to make her own way. Blaze her own trail. Blaze her own path. She doesn't come to me looking for a lot which I respect that. And I'm here watching and supporting."
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