Daria Rae (formerly Sonya Deville in WWE) has spoken publicly about her arrest in New Jersey for gun possession, describing the situation as an “honest mistake” stemming from a misunderstanding of state reciprocity laws.
Appearing on TMZ Inside The Ring, Rae explained that she legally obtained a firearm permit in Florida after experiencing a home invasion, but did not realize that the permit was not valid in New Jersey.
Recounting how the situation unfolded, Rae said the firearm ended up in New Jersey following an unexpected change in travel plans.
“One time, I was taking her [my wife] to the airport in Fort Lauderdale, and all the flights got canceled because of weather, and she had to get home to her kids. So we got on a whim, got my truck. I drove it to Jersey. I left it at her house.”
Weeks later, while celebrating her engagement in Atlantic City, the firearm was discovered during an interaction with a valet.
“They lost my valet stub, and so they said, you know, what’s your name? Fill out this paper. I fill it out. They’re like, All right, we’re gonna search your car to look for your insurance card to verify your identity. I’m like, yeah, no problem. And they open the glove compartment and see my little 380, which is like a little bitch gun. And the man calls 911 on my 380.”
Rae was taken into custody but noted that law enforcement officers were respectful and accommodating throughout the process.
“They come and arrest me and take me to jail, and the officers were very nice. They offered me Dunkin Donuts. And I just stood in a cell, and it was like a single cell, like it wasn’t the holding cell, like they put me in a real cell, you know, and I stood there for like, maybe, like, three, four hours, while they did my processing and my paperwork.”
According to Rae, her primary concern at the time was the potential impact on her career—specifically her standing with WWE.
“That was the only thing I was worried about. I was like, my job, my job, my job. And I called the powers that be, and they were so great about it. They were like, Listen, the only reason you even have a gun is because you almost got murdered in your home. So crazy, we totally understand. And it was a mistake. It really was a mistake. It really was a dumb mistake.”
The legal matter was ultimately resolved in December after Rae completed a six-month pretrial intervention program, allowing the situation to conclude without further complications.
Her account sheds light on how quickly misunderstandings around state firearm laws can escalate—and how the incident, while serious, was handled with cooperation on all sides.
