Former WWE Divas Champion Kaitlyn has opened up about one of the biggest decisions of her wrestling career. She revealed why she chose to walk away from WWE despite having significant time remaining on her contract.
Speaking on TMZ’s Inside The Ring, Kaitlyn reflected on the personal struggles that led to her departure.
While many fans remember her successful run as Divas Champion, she revealed that life behind the curtain was growing increasingly difficult.
Kaitlyn signed her second WWE contract during her championship reign in 2013. However, rather than seeing the deal through, she requested her release with two years still remaining.
At the heart of that decision was a battle she felt unequipped to handle at the time.
“I left — I had signed my second contract when I had the title in 2013 — and I ended up asking for my release with still two years left on my contract and it’s because I was struggling. I was folding under the pressure of show business and the adrenaline and like the emotional roller coaster and also that lifestyle, especially the way it was back then was very difficult to have like real relationships,” Kaitlyn explained.
She added, “I didn’t have tools to process what I was going through and I didn’t know how to talk about it.”
Kaitlyn opens up about her mental and physical struggles during WWE run
The former champion said the pressure eventually affected every aspect of her life, leading to both emotional and physical challenges.
“Essentially, like it kind of built to this point in my life where I was struggling mentally, physically, I was gaining weight, emotionally, I was a mess,” she said.
Kaitlyn revealed she ultimately realized she couldn’t continue living that way and feared losing herself if nothing changed.
“I knew that I couldn’t sustain that. Like my life was reflecting to me like, ‘Hey, there’s… you need to figure this out. Like you need to make some changes.’”
The decision wasn’t easy. “I was a mess. I was an absolute mess. Didn’t have a plan. I knew I wanted to try to build some sort of business and kind of create a new identity for myself outside of the character of Kaitlyn.”
Like many wrestlers who spend years chasing championship gold, Kaitlyn discovered that sometimes the toughest battle didn’t transpire inside the ring. More than a decade after leaving WWE, she now speaks openly about that chapter with a clearer perspective and renewed confidence.
READ MORE: Kaitlyn Reveals Backstage Pressure From Top Female Stars During WWE Run
