Willow Nightingale recently responded to criticism that some stars get from fans, and wished they would let them be themselves more often.
Speaking to Black Girl Wrestling in a recent interview (via NoDQ), Nightingale took umbrage with the fact wrestlers face criticism from fans, oftentimes for simply being themselves.
Nightingale noted that, when she faces criticism online, it’s almost always one of misogyny, racism, or fatphobia-centric comments based on her weight. To Nightingale, these attacks are not based on her character or in-ring self, but her actual, real life person.
“Professional wrestling would be so much better if people didn’t hate wrestlers for being themselves,” Nightingale said. “I see so much more of that these days with social media—people being attacked for the person that they are. When people do attack me, it is almost always misogyny, racism, or fat phobia. And those are attacks on me, the person who plays Willow—the person who steps into those sparkly boots—not the character.”
Nightingale went on to say that, fans can criticize her character or find the persona she portrays in the ring as “annoying or cringey,” but that personal attacks don’t help what is supposed to be an “escape” for people.
“When people say she’s annoying or cringey, that’s fine. That’s okay. That is, again, a little bit of who I am in that character. But at the end of the day, that is a wrestler,” said Nightingale. “People are too concerned with attacking others personally, and wrestling is supposed to be an escape. You’re supposed to enjoy the world—or even if you don’t enjoy it, you’re supposed to get caught up in the journey, the story, the adventure—and let that make you feel.”
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