Paige has opened up about “not wanting to be alive” anymore after nude photos and sexually explicit videos of the star appeared on the internet in 2017.
By early 2017 Paige’s career appeared to be in a downward spiral. She hadn’t wrestled since the previous June due to a serious neck injury which required surgery. While the star was out of action she violated WWE’s wellness policy twice, and was in the midst of a tumultuous relationship with Alberto Del Rio.
In March 2017 a series of nude photos and sexually explicit videos featuring the star were leaked onto the internet which only served to deepen her mental health crisis.
During an appearance on The Sessions with Renee Paquette Paige recalled the aftermath of the leak. She described herself at the time as a “cokehead” who “loved a drink” while admitting she contemplated taking her own life.
“It was just the most awful moment of my life. Like I couldn’t believe it was real at first because I was like, f*cking 19, and I was like completely f*cking mortified. I ran out the house and I just kept f*cking running dude. I never wish that upon anyone because that’s the most vulnerable part of you.
It’s just like on the internet. I felt so f*cking stupid and I felt so embarrassed and I was already like a f*cking cokehead at this time and loved to drink and sh*t like that. So I was like feeling like and that really f*cking got me at rock bottom where I just like was I didn’t want to be alive anymore dude, it’s f*cking awful. I just was so f*cking sad.”
Paige, real name Saraya, eventually returned to the ring in November 2017, but her comeback proved to be short-lived as she suffered another neck injury before the year was out. The British star officially retired from in-ring competition in April 2018, but remained with WWE until July 2022 when her contract expired.
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H/t to Sportskeeda for the transcription.