Sometimes, all it takes is one moment to ruin the reputation that took years of hard work to build. For WWE star Paige, the severe reaction to her private videos coming to light in 2017 massively affected her.
For Paige, wrestling was her whole life. She grew up in a wrestling family in England, with both her parents working in the business. By her early teens, she was already wrestling, and at just 18, she signed with WWE. Moreover, she debuted on the main roster at 21 and immediately stood out with her look and in-ring skills.
But in March 2017, everything changed.
Private photos and videos of Paige surfaced online. They spread quickly across the internet and brought a lot of unwanted attention. For someone whose career is based on maintaining a certain character, it was very painful.
Paige opens up about the emotional impact of the public reaction to leaked videos
In a conversation with Stephanie McMahon on the What’s Your Story? podcast, the WWE star spoke openly about how much this affected her. At that time, she was already dealing with substance issues, a difficult relationship, and recovering from neck surgery. Moreover, the leak made things much worse and pushed her to a “lowest point” in her life.
She said she felt completely alone. She had cut off contact with her family and friends and believed no one was there for her. People mocked and harassed her, which made her feel ashamed and exposed. She even admitted that she thought about ending her life.
The former AEW star later said her father saved her life. But even with her family’s support and help from WWE, it wasn’t easy to move on. She shared a moment when someone at a bar called her a “p*rnstar,” ignoring everything she had achieved in wrestling. That hurt deeply.
“Just walking in the street, I was very embarrassed. And then I remember, I was at this bar with my friends…I was not drinking, I was eating, and someone who was drunk came up to me and said, ‘Oh, you’re the f*cking p*rnstar,’ and I froze. I ran into the bathroom, cried my eyes out. I sobbed, because I thought that’s what I was going to be remembered for,” she said.
“Nothing that I’ve done, all these good things that I’ve done in wrestling or whatever, the reality shows and all these things, THAT’s what I’m gonna be remembered for,” Paige added.
That fear stayed with her. She had to wonder if the effort and legacy she had achieved in wrestling would play second fiddle because of one incident. Even today, those memories still affect her.
However, Paige managed to pull herself back from the “rock bottom” and is now one of the most beloved female WWE stars.
Read More: Paige Reveals Her WWE Return Was Based On Two Major Conditions
