Layla is looking back on her past issues with fellow former WWE star Kaitlyn with a much different perspective today, admitting the tension between them was ultimately unnecessary and something she regrets.
The two shared the roster during Kaitlyn’s rise from Florida Championship Wrestling to WWE’s main roster, where Kaitlyn eventually captured the Divas Championship. Kaitlyn recently stated publicly that any problems between the pair had long since been resolved, and Layla has now confirmed there was indeed real friction between them at the time.
Speaking with Sportshadow, Layla admitted she still doesn’t fully remember exactly how the situation escalated, but acknowledged she could have handled herself much better throughout the ordeal.
“Kaitlyn and I did have drama. We have beef and that. I don’t know necessarily if it was because of how she just quickly rose to TV because I also had that moment and kind of thing. I don’t really remember exactly what happened but, no, really, there were times, yes, there were times, I think that I could have conducted myself and behaved a lot better towards Kaitlyn than I did, and I should have had a lot more empathy for her.”
Layla went on to explain that the WWE environment at the time could sometimes bring out the worst in people emotionally and mentally, something she now recognizes more clearly in hindsight.
“Like I said, sometimes the environment in your mind at that time, it can bring out a side of you that was not right at that time.”
She also revealed that she later apologized directly to Kaitlyn and accepted responsibility for how she acted during that period.
“I’ve seen Kaitlyn and I apologized. I really did. I said I’m so sorry like that. I know I was wrong. I was out of line.”
Layla then reflected on how the backstage tension may have inadvertently helped open the door for Kaitlyn’s rise on WWE television following Kaitlyn’s storyline mishap with Eve Torres during the WWE Royal Rumble period.
“The beef Kaitlyn and I had actually, like, opened the door for her because when her and Eve had that mishap at the Royal Rumble, right, I think something Kaitlyn said I heard offended me kind of thing and it, like, was messing up our storyline. So, I think I was mad at the time, but my reaction to that basically opened the door for Kaitlyn’s career.”
Despite everything that happened, Layla made it clear she has nothing but respect for Kaitlyn today and believes the entire issue feels trivial in retrospect.
“I believe everything happens for a reason. Do I look back and go, ‘Oh, why’d you act like that?’ Yes, absolutely. I didn’t deserve to be there. Kaitlyn is a great talent. She’s a great woman. So, I dare to explain it. I’m so happy that we got to speak it out and just let it be, and it was so silly. So silly, when you look back at it.”
Layla also spoke about her past relationship with Cody Rhodes, revealing she immediately believed he was destined for major success in the wrestling business.
“I 100% saw that. I started dating Cody because I knew he was going to be a star and he had a lot of dreams and everything that he told me that he was going to do, he’s done it.”
She praised Rhodes for ultimately fulfilling the ambitions he openly discussed years earlier.
“So, congratulations to him because for someone who can tell you their dreams and they’re going to make it happen and they do make it happen, congratulations! So yeah, I mean of course I saw it because I wouldn’t have dated him or been with him if I didn’t see everything that people will see now.”
