John Cena has opened up about his childhood, particularly defending his older brother.
Cena, 46, appeared in the newest episode of Dax Shepard’s Armchair Skilled podcast, the place he defined that he and his 4 brothers grew up in a small Massachusetts city. In that setting, his older brother Steve struggled due to his curiosity in computer systems and his sexual orientation.
“Life was robust for my brother in highschool. Not solely was he an introvert and inquisitive about computer systems, he’s additionally homosexual. And being homosexual within the Eighties in a small city in Massachusetts, man, that’s an uphill climb,” Cena stated.
He added that Steve didn’t come out as homosexual whereas he was in highschool, however was judged throughout that interval for being a “true nerd”.
“He simply had numerous character traits that weren’t within the ‘cool child’ group, and he’s additionally holding this secret that he can’t inform or speak to anyone about,” Cena defined.
“I actually really feel for what it should have been like for him rising up,” he added.
Regardless of being a couple of years youthful than Steve, the actor defined that he at all times felt very protecting of his older brother. “That kind of behaviour began, like, at 10 years outdated for me,” he stated.
“I don’t suppose I understood what was occurring. Children are harsh and so they kind cliques actual quick.”
As a result of his household lived “acres away” from others the brothers usually caught collectively. “There was sufficient of us to have a basketball crew, which implies we may do no matter we wished. We need to play soccer or baseball, there’s sufficient of us. We didn’t really feel we wanted anybody else,” Cena stated.
Then when the actor was round 10 to 12 years outdated he recalled changing into a part of different “social circles” and wished to face as much as any bullies he got here throughout.
“I took on the function of, ‘Hey, in case you say one thing to the youthful brothers, I’ll do my greatest to throw myself in hurt’s method,’” he stated.
He added that it wasn’t even simply his brothers who have been getting picked on at school, he was additionally coping with his bullies. “I acquired made enjoyable of for the best way I dressed, the music I listened to, the folks I related to, my older brother,” he defined.
At age 12, Cena determined to start out figuring out with weights, he stated, “As a result of I used to be getting my a** kicked.”
By the point Cena was 15 years outdated, he defined that via his routine of “fixed power coaching and consuming proper”, he turned greater than his bullies who have been older than him.
“I walked into bodily schooling class with now seniors who have been pushing me down the hill,” he stated. “I bear in mind particularly one child who actually spearheaded the anti-John motion, I closed my locker door and he’s subsequent to me and we have been taking a look at one another like, ‘Is it gonna go down?’”
As a substitute of combating, Cena defined how he acquired the scenario to die down by itself.
“And for some purpose – at 15 – I summoned up the situational consciousness to be like, ‘Hey man, we’re good, don’t fear about it,’” he stated. “And that was it. Not solely did he by no means decide on me once more, I by no means actually acquired f’ed with once more in highschool.”
