Sonya Deville did an interview with Alfred Konuwa of Forbes. The following highlights were sent to us:
Sonya Deville on meeting her fiancee Toni Cassano:
“It’s going to sound odd, but it was before I even met her,” said Deville about when she knew her now-fiancee was the one.
“I followed her on Instagram for a few years, and she followed me, and I would just look at her posts and I was like ‘this is like my wife.’ I know it sounds crazy, but she just had everything going on that I’m into. And she just seemed so genuine and real, and the day I met her I was like ‘she’s exactly everything I thought she would be and more.’”
Deville on proposing to Toni
“It wasn’t anything that was verbally discussed, it just was natural in my mind that I was going to propose to her,” said Deville.
“I think in her mind, she wanted me to have that moment as well because she just knows me and she knows that that’s something that I would do. But she wanted to have a ring to give back to me when I did propose so she went and had a ring made actually by the same jeweler (Happy Jewelers) that I had her ring made.”
“She was carrying it around in her purse for like three months so whenever I proposed she would have a ring to give back to me.”
Deville on working with Chelsea Green
“It’s been insane, it’s been so much fun,” said Deville about working with Green.
“We’re like yin and yang, we go perfectly together. When I heard the idea, I was like ‘hmm,’ because when you think of Chelsea Green and Sonya Deville on paper, you think of quite the opposite. But when you put us together, I think our opposites attract and we complement each other. So it’s really funny, it’s also funny because we were on Tough Enough together eight years ago almost, which makes me feel really old, but it’s crazy—a full circle moment—to see us now working together in WWE on Monday Night Raw eight years later from when we were both trying to break us into the business. So that’s cool, too.”
Deville on if her character is a Karen
“I feel like Sonya/Daria is almost like an anti-Karen,” said Deville.
“But I feel like my character is more direct and straight to the point of what she wants. What she wants is different than what Chelsea’s character wants. I think Chelsea’s character cares about making sure there’s lattes in the locker room and making sure that her shirts are ironed and whatever, and I think Sonya is more worried about winning and proving herself and power and control. I think we go about it two different ways as well.”
“Sometimes Chelsea can get lost in the words and I’m more ‘it’s nothing personal, it’s business, I want what I want.’ So that’s why I think we complement each other well. When she needs to finesse and manipulate and use her tactics, it works perfect and when Sonya needs to be straight to the point and direct, it works great for that, too.”
Deville on the Differences between teaming with Chelsea Green and Mandy Rose
“Mandy’s onscreen character wasn’t very funny, but in real life she’s very funny. But she was more of the bombshell whereas Chelsea’s more comedic. I don’t even know if she means to be, but she’s just very funny on camera. It’s very hard to do segments with her sometimes and not laugh. I think they’re both very different. Mandy was kind of the egomaniac blonde bombshell who was tough in the ring and I feel like Chelsea is kind of this comedic, charismatic Karen-type character that also still has a way of being taken seriously in the ring. I like that about both of them, no matter their role or their look they’re both very legitimate competitors.”
Deville on her LGBTQ Mount Rushmore
“That is so hard, oh my gosh,” said Deville while contemplating her list.
“So I’m going to go with Fletcher. Fletcher is a musician if you don’t know, she’s incredible. She’s been someone that I’ve looked up to for a couple years. Me and my fiancee love her. She just makes LGBTQ music which, when you’re gay, and you’re listening to music sometimes it’s hard to relate about a guy singing about a woman and vice versa. Fletcher sings about her life and her love stories so it’s really relatable and cool.”
“Also Katy Perry. She’s been a huge advocate for the LGBTQ community for so long in her music, obviously. RuPaul is incredible, I used to religiously watch [RuPaul’s Drag Race]. There’s just so many and I feel like I’m not going to give a solid answer if I answer on the spot, so I’ll do my mini Mount Rushmore.”
