Former WWE Women’s Champion Layla has revealed that she once turned down a lucrative opportunity to pose for Playboy magazine during her time with the company, despite being offered a substantial payday.
Speaking with Chris Van Vliet, Layla recalled being approached by WWE about a potential Playboy feature involving members of the popular Extreme Exposé group.
“Actually, it wasn’t just me at first. So, what happened was we were called into the office, and it was Kelly Kelly, Brooke Adams, and myself. I think it was 2007, I think Maria actually did the cover, and they were like, we want to do Extreme Exposé for Playboy, and I was like, no.”
After the group concept was declined, Layla said WWE approached her and Kelly Kelly individually with separate offers.
“I’m not too sure what they said, but then because I didn’t want to do Extreme Exposé, they offered Kelly Kelly and myself individually, and I think they’d offered me like $250,000 to do it. I was like, no, I’m not doing it.”
When asked why she turned down the opportunity, Layla explained that her decision was rooted in her family background and concerns about how her loved ones would react.
“Honestly, I was really scared, because a lot of people don’t know this, I’m Arab. So my actual family, I’m an immigrant in England, but I’m of Moroccan heritage.”
Layla said her family’s Muslim faith played a significant role in her decision-making process.
“So I was concerned that my family, who were Muslim. I was always told don’t do anything like that, you can’t, so I was also very scared of what they would think. My brother would have been so mad.”
Despite the financial incentive, Layla ultimately felt posing for Playboy would have crossed a personal line she was not comfortable with.
“So that’s why I said no. I was just like, I think that’s going too far. What I’m doing already is a lot with them and all the modeling stuff.”
Looking back, Layla remains comfortable with the choice she made, although she admits there is a small part of her that wonders what might have been.
“I’m glad I said no, because I really couldn’t see myself going through the shoot. But I’m also sad I said no, because I could have probably retired that year.”
During the mid-2000s, WWE had a close relationship with Playboy, with several female WWE stars appearing on covers and in pictorials, including Maria Kanellis, Torrie Wilson, Sable, Candice Michelle, Ashley Massaro, and others.
While many talents embraced the opportunity, Layla’s comments highlight the personal and cultural considerations that factored into her decision to decline what would have been one of the biggest paydays of her WWE career.
Ultimately, she chose to remain true to her comfort level and family values, even if it meant passing on a life-changing financial opportunity.
