Paige sex tape leak left WWE wrestler ‘publicly humiliated’ amid mental health battle

'I felt so rock bottom'

WWE star Paige has spoken of the “humiliation” she felt when a sex tape was released without her consent, saying that she hit “rock bottom”.

English professional wrestler Paige, real name Saraya-Jade Bevis, signed a contract with WWE in 2011.

The 26-year-old became the youngest ever champion of the WWE Divas Championship, a women’s professional wrestling tournament, at the age of 21 in 2014.

The story of Paige’s upbringing in Norwich and the beginning of her career has been made into a film called Fighting with My Family.

In 2017, the wrestler fell victim to a leak of private photos and videos, an event that had a hugely negative impact on her mental health.

“To be publicly humiliated like that was terrible, and I don’t wish that for anyone,” Paige tells The New York Post.

Despite reassuring her fans at the time that she was doing ok in the aftermath of the leak and focusing on “being happy”, the intrusion of Paige’s privacy coupled with a wrestling injury led depression.

“I didn’t go to work; I didn’t do anything. I felt so rock bottom,” the wrestler says.

However, a chance encounter with a young female fan in a supermarket in Texas inspired Paige not to forego her career.

“Of course, she didn’t have the internet and thought I was the most beautiful and most successful woman in the world. It opened my eyes to so many things. I was like, ‘I’m gonna let videos get in the way of things?’” the wrestler says.

“I thought, what am I doing? I need to be successful for her. My whole journey was supposed to be about inspiring people.”

Paige announced her retirement from WWE in April 2018. She’s since released a makeup and clothing line, and is considering returning to the world of wrestling, although she hasn’t confirmed in what capacity.

Fighting with My Family has been directed by Stephen Merchant and stars Dwayne Johnson, Nick Frost, Lena Headey and Florence Pugh as Paige.

The film is being released on 14 February in the US and on 27 February in the UK.

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