Former WWE star Kaitlyn recently said that she walked away from WWE in 2014 with two years left on her contract, not because of a better opportunity, but out of desperation.
The former Divas Champion described herself as “an absolute mess” who lacked the emotional tools to survive the business.
Speaking with TMZ’s Inside The Ring, Kaitlyn talked about the decision that led to her WWE exit. She requested her release while still under contract, framing the move as an act of self-preservation rather than a career calculation.
“When 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,” Kaitlyn said. “And it’s because I was struggling, I was folding under the pressure of show business and the adrenaline and the emotional roller coaster and also that lifestyle, especially the way it was back then was very difficult to have real relationships like intimate relationships.”
‘I Didn’t Have Tools To Process What I Was Going Through’
The former Divas Champion detailed how the pressures built over her years on the roster, affecting her mental and physical health. She said she gained weight, lost confidence, and reached a breaking point without knowing how to talk about what she was feeling.
“I was there from when I was 23 to when I was 27, I didn’t have tools to process what I was going through and I didn’t know how to talk about it,” she said. “So essentially 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 added that she left without a concrete plan.
“I knew that I couldn’t sustain that. Like my life was reflecting to me like ‘hey you need to figure this out, you need to make some changes.’ And I didn’t feel like I could do that while I was living that lifestyle,” Kaitlyn explained. “I left and I was a mess. I was an absolute mess. Didn’t have a plan.”
Regret And Feelings Of Failure After WWE
Kaitlyn always intended to build a new identity and brand for herself outside of wrestling. But she admitted that leaving the company left her grappling with regret and self-doubt, believing she had not fully capitalized on her global platform.
“I had this really deep feeling that was my opportunity, that was my chance, that I’m never going to do anything as great as that again. And I blew it, like I could have had such a big impact, a much bigger impact,” she said. “For a long time I felt like a failure which is crazy to a lot of people but it’s just how I felt like I could have done so much more with that opportunity and that spotlight on a global stage.”
Kaitlyn’s comments comes amid renewed interest in her WWE run. AJ Lee recently called for Kaitlyn’s return to the company, and Nicole Matthews defended female wrestlers against historical WWE mistreatment from that era.