TNA Wrestling star Daria Rae has insisted she ‘never wanted to step away’ from the spotlight after her terrifying kidnap attempt.
The 32-year-old wrestler, best known to fans as Sonya Deville during her decade-long run with WWE, was left terrified in August 2020 when Phillip Thomas broke into her home with a plan to take her.
He was sentenced to 15 years in prison in 2023, having faced charges of aggravated stalking, armed burglary of a dwelling, attempted armed kidnapping, and criminal mischief.
At the time of the incident, Daria was involved in a high-profile storyline with real-life friend Mandy Rose, but their SummerSlam match was altered to allow her time away from wrestling.
However, she exclusively told Metro: ‘I never wanted to step away. That wasn’t my choice. It was probably what was best for me at the time, so I’m glad people had my personal well-being in mind, but I never wanted to step away.
‘I was chomping at the bit every second I was home, texting the powers that be like, “When can I come back? When can I come back?” ‘
Daria admitted she was ‘so mad’ at being told she couldn’t return yet, although she ‘appreciates’ now that people had her best interests at heart.
‘Obviously, hindsight is 20/20,’ she added. ‘But I was hungry, I was in the middle of it. I had loved the angle and the storyline that Mandy and I did, including Dolph [Ziggler] – [AKA Nic Nemeth] – and Otis.
‘I was kind of just getting my footing, I feel like, as a character on screen. Obviously, we can’t predict the future, and timing wasn’t perfect.’
When Daria returned to WWE screens in January 2021, it was in an authority figure role, which she returned to for TNA Wrestling last week during the company’s debut on AMC in the US.
‘Coming back in the authority role was arguably the most fun I had in [WWE]. It was cool,’ she added.
‘I can’t ever look back and be like, “Oh I wish that didn’t happen”. Because everything leads to the next thing, and where you’re supposed to be.’
She smiled: ‘Look at me now – I’m in TNA, it’s exactly where I’m supposed to be right now, I believe that.’
Daria is back in wrestling a year after finding out her WWE contract wasn’t being renewed, and after needing some time away, she decided she was ‘ready to get back in some capacity’.
‘When you perform in front of live audiences, like I did, and anyone who’s experienced that, you know that there’s nothing really that can replicate that,’ she explained.
‘I had had conversations with Carlos from TNA as soon as I left WWE, and that wasn’t the time for me, and I didn’t know if it would ever be to be honest.
‘And then it just felt right. So I shot him a text, and it happened to be the day before they announced the AMC TV deal. So he’s like, “Did you know?” And I was like, “No, I had no idea, but that’s great news”. And so we went back and forth and made it happen, and it ended up being, I think, perfect timing.’
She returned on the AMC debut as an antagonist to director of authority Santino Marella, which she described as a ‘match made in heaven’.
‘He understands what people want, but also he just genuinely has that likeable factor,’ Daria added. ‘I think I genuinely have the unlikable factor. So it worked perfectly, like a match made in heaven.’
Daria has been keeping an eye on Santino’s TNA work for months, and she knew she wanted to ‘play opposite him’.
She quipped: ‘I was like, “Oh, I would love to kind of come in there and dim his light”, just because he’s so funny. His comedic timing is impeccable. He’s so beloved by the fans, as he should be.’
Meanwhile, Daria will continue to grow in her role after learning from her initial authority figure stint in WWE opposite current Raw general manager Adam Pearce.
‘Oh, God, we had so much fun. I think it’s just so important,’ she laughed. ‘I love the dynamic and the dichotomy that I had with Pearce. And I think having someone to work off of and play off of is really fun.’
Now, her focus is on TNA and seeing the company continue to grow to new heights.
‘I don’t think there’s ever been a better point in history to be in the sports entertainment industry,’ she said. ‘I think what TNA is doing is so unique, and it really is the The Little Engine That Could. And now everyone’sthe great product that they’ve always loved is coming to the big screen.’
UK fans can keep up with TNA Wrestling on the TNA Plus app.
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