Former WWE star James Ellsworth has spoken publicly about the 2018 allegations made against him on social media, which accused him of sending inappropriate photos to a minor — claims that he has consistently denied.
The allegations surfaced in November 2018 when a Twitter user known as @KliqKid shared screenshots and a video describing the situation.
Both the posts and the video were later deleted, and Ellsworth — through legal representation — issued a statement denying any wrongdoing at the time.
Thanks for the love and support .. pic.twitter.com/BuFXPMu907
— James Ellsworth (@realellsworth) November 29, 2018
Now, in a recent interview with SportShadow.com, Ellsworth reflected on the incident, calling the experience “crazy” and reiterating his innocence while criticizing the rush to judgment that often happens online.
“There’s people who are full of malice. The internet can be a pretty brutal place for everybody,” Ellsworth said. “Luckily for me, I do have very thick skin because I’ve been through a lot in my life. People read a headline and think something’s true without letting things play out or doing any actual research.”
Ellsworth, who emphasized his personal and legal record, said that despite the accusations, he was never contacted by law enforcement.
“Am I a perfect person? No. But I’m a father of two, I’m a husband, and I have a clean criminal record,” he said. “I’ve never been arrested in my life. Cops never talked to me about me committing a crime ever. So, I think my record speaks for itself.”
The former WWE star added that while the situation was difficult, he tried not to let it consume him, especially as he was dealing with personal family matters at the time.
“You’d think it would affect me more,” Ellsworth continued. “At first, I thought, ‘This is a bummer because it’s not true.’ People think it is. But nothing ever happens — you don’t get arrested, no cops come talk to you — because you didn’t do anything. Still, there are people who’ll believe it because they read it online. That’s crazy, right?
“It might have bothered me a little, but I had bigger things going on. My grandfather was dying, and he was my buddy — the one who showed me wrestling and taped those old VHS shows for me. I was focused on that, not the internet.”
Ellsworth also expressed empathy for real victims of abuse while condemning false allegations.
“If you show me love, I’m going to show you love back,” Ellsworth said. “I feel bad for anyone who’s ever actually been a victim of a crime or put into a situation they didn’t ask for. But I’ve never done that to anyone. I just feel bad that people who really go through it sometimes aren’t believed because others lie. That’s not fair to the real victims.”
The former WWE performer, who rose to fame during his 2016 run on SmackDown Live, says he remains focused on positivity and moving forward with his life.
