As she prepares to challenge for the WWE Women’s World Championship at SummerSlam Night Two, Rhea Ripley sat down with the Cheap Heat Podcast (listen below) during a media event this weekend and delivered one of her most candid interviews to date.
The former champion discussed the importance of maintaining boundaries with fans, shared a disturbing incident involving a stalker, and got real about her insecurities and mental health, all while showing why she continues to resonate with so many members of the WWE Universe.
Ripley emphasized the importance of privacy and the need to occasionally set firm public boundaries with fans. “I feel like we have to [speak out], because some of them forget… not all, but some do think they own us because we’re on live television weekly,” she explained. “And I don’t stand for that. I’m a human being as well… Everyone should have their space to go home and relax, not worry about someone random looking through your window or knocking on your door.”
Ripley detailed a chilling event that occurred while she was away in Australia earlier this year. “Someone came to my house on Valentine’s Day. Luckily, I wasn’t home — I was overseas. She just stared into my Ring camera and left a poem under my doormat. It said something like we’re the sun and moon, meant to be together,” she revealed. “If I had been home, I would’ve answered the door… and I don’t want to feel uncomfortable in my own damn house.”
Ripley also spoke about the emotional challenges of being in the spotlight and her desire to be a relatable figure for fans going through mental health struggles. “I know a lot of my fans have mental health problems. They go through struggles like any normal human,” she said. “And I want them to know that I go through the same things. They can overcome whatever they want… I wish I had someone I could look up to like that, to make me feel like my emotions were normal.”
Addressing her in-ring persona, Ripley credited her trademark heavy makeup as essential to her presentation. “The makeup makes Rhea Ripley… Rhea Ripley. It’s necessary for TV. The lights wash you out, change your skin tone,” she explained. She also revealed a vulnerable side, admitting, “I don’t really eat on show days… I can tell when I haven’t eaten enough because I go out there with no pump and I just look skinny and frail.”
When asked why she was the first to like an Instagram photo of Roxanne Perez offering chicken nuggets to Dominik Mysterio, Ripley laughed and gave a playful response. “I’m messy… I like a little bit of drama when I’m not in it,” she joked.
Rhea Ripley will compete in a Triple Threat Match at WWE SummerSlam Night Two, challenging Naomi and Iyo Sky for the Women’s World Championship — marking her long-awaited return to the title scene after injury sidelined her earlier this year.
You can listen to the full interview now below.
For SummerSlam coverage, live results, interviews, and more insider WWE news, stay tuned to PWMania.com.
