During an appearance on the Cheap Heat podcast at a SummerSlam weekend media event, WWE Superstar Rhea Ripley spoke on the importance of setting boundaries with fans, detailing a frightening incident where a fan came to her home. She also discussed her desire to be open about her own struggles to connect with her audience.
Setting Boundaries with Fans
Ripley explained why she sometimes has to publicly remind fans to respect her privacy. “I feel like we have to, because it’s like they just forget… some of them, not all of them, but some of them do think that they own us because we are on live television weekly,” she stated. “And I don’t stand for that. I’m a human being as well… Everyone should have their space to, like, go home and relax and not have to worry about someone random looking through your window or knocking on your door.”
The Valentine’s Day Incident
She then detailed a specific and unnerving incident that happened while she was out of the country. “I had someone rock up on Valentine’s Day this past Valentine’s Day, and luckily, I was in Australia,” she recalled. “Because, like, she just stared into my Ring camera. She left, like, a poem under my door mat saying that, like, we’re the sun and the moon and we’re meant to be together. And I was like, if I was home, I would have answered the door, and I would have been so uncomfortable, and I don’t want to feel uncomfortable in my own damn house.”
Relatability and Mental Health
Ripley explained that her openness is a way to connect with her fans who may be going through similar issues. “I know a lot of my fans… they have a lot of like, mental problems. They go through these struggles like a normal human,” she said. “And I want them to know that, like I go through these same things, and they can overcome whatever they want to overcome… I wish that I had someone that expressed themselves, that I could look up to and then be like, ‘Okay, I am normal. These are normal emotions.'”
The “Rhea Ripley” Look
She also discussed her signature on-screen presentation, stating that her heavy makeup is an essential part of her character. “I feel like the makeup is what makes Rhea Ripley. Rhea Ripley,” she said. Ripley explained that it’s a necessity for television. “I feel like I need that heavy makeup, because the lights they they flush you out. They they change your skin tone.” She also admitted to a personal insecurity, saying, “My main problem is I don’t really eat on show days… I can tell the days that I haven’t eaten enough, because I go out there and I have no pump… and I just look like, skinny and frail.”
Her “Messy” Side
When the hosts brought up a recent Instagram photo from Roxanne Perez showing her offering chicken nuggets to Dominik Mysterio, they pointed out that Rhea Ripley was the first person to “like” the post. When asked for her motivation, Ripley laughed and said, “I’m messy… I like a little bit of drama when I’m not in it.”
Rhea Ripley is set to challenge Naomi for the Women’s World Championship in a Triple Threat match that also includes Iyo Sky at SummerSlam this Sunday. The full interview can be heard on the Cheap Heat podcast.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/5nUWYsQkFtC70IIUIwFa4O?si=DJ7Qhh9mTVuOM3jUMIK31A
