Paige has had a really rough week so far. She has had private pictures and videos leaked to the Internet that should never have been seen by the general public. This has led to a lot of abuse online due to the nature of the content and it has also led to outrage from certain individuals on Twitter.
I fully support Paige in this situation and I’ll explain why.
The successful WWE Superstar has been nursing an injury for the last few months but has remained in the public eye due to her antics outside the ring.
Earlier in the year, it was reported that her new relationship with Alberto Del Rio had not gone down well with WWE officials and it wasn’t long after this that Del Rio was actually released from the company.
As Paige could not compete in WWE due to her injury, she was also off-television, leading to a lot of speculation over her status in WWE.
Her relationship with Del Rio should not have anything to do with anyone else. She is a grown woman who can make her own decisions and I don’t think WWE should stand in the way of relationships unless they begin to negatively impact the work of someone.
At that point, you’d look at putting them on different brands, or having that conversation about remaining professional.
Also read: Paige and Alberto Del Rio: 5 facts you need to know about them
She was also reported to have violated the Wellness policy two times in three months. The first was put down to a procedural issue by Paige herself.
She tried to pin the second violation on another error to do with a prescription but was swiftly shot down by WWE as they weathered any potential storm by releasing a statement suggesting the opposite. They reported that Paige “tested positive for an illegal substance, not a prescription drug”.
So it’s safe to say that Paige is not in the company’s good books as it is.
Now she has had many private pictures and videos released, a lot of the sentiment online calls for Paige to lose her job. Should WWE follow through with this, they would be completely out of line.
They are yet to release a statement on the subject and I think they should either remain quiet or release a statement confirming their support for the former Divas’ Champion.
Paige has been embarrassed and humiliated by this leak. Nobody should have their private photos or videos leaked to the Internet without their consent. Some may not realise that the person that has actually leaked the content is a criminal as what he or she has done is illegal almost worldwide.
It is not acceptable to post intimate images or videos, whether it is out of spite, for a laugh or any other reason.
Following the Internet eruption, Paige tweeted out the following to all her followers and fans:
She showed class and decorum with the tweet. She has not made light of it and I believe she was extremely courageous in the way she cleared up that it was not with her consent that these were leaked.
With WWE remaining quiet on the situation and reports of Xavier Woods being kept off television until WrestleMania 33 for his part in the videos, it would appear that they are waiting for this to blow over.
It should in no way have an impact on Paige’s career with WWE, however, what she does in her own time is her business.
Furthermore, if it was the case that she was doing this to gain extra money or exposure, in a professional pornographic production, then perhaps, you could understand WWE firing Paige.
WWE hold a very strict PG policy and WWE Superstars are great role models for kids worldwide so when something that could tarnish the image of the company comes out, they are usually very quick to shut it down.
WWE have released many Superstars in the past for not conforming to this. Brad Maddox himself was fired due to using inappropriate language in a match that wasn’t even going to air on TV. There is a zero-tolerance policy.
However, in this instance, Paige needs to be looked after by WWE.
Not only is this a horrible thing to happen to a person, it could have a massive effect on her mental health and her current relationships with the people she loves as well. I know that if it happened to me I’d feel violated and it is not something anyone should have to go through.
I’d like to re-iterate that Paige actually hasn’t done anything wrong. All the videos have been with consenting adults and were only intended for personal use.
The abuse she has suffered on social media websites and elsewhere is abhorrent, but I have also seen people standing up for Paige in these comment sections and I urge you not to encourage any negative behaviour towards her.
She is a ridiculously talented athlete who is extremely young and is someone who will make mistakes. This is not one of them that she needs to be held accountable for. I hope that the WWE and the WWE Universe come together to help Paige forget and move past this unfortunate incident.
She should be able to return to work once she has recovered from her neck surgery and should not be reminded of what has happened.
She should get a massive ovation, not only because she is one of the best female wrestlers in the world, but because of her courage and determination to get through this situation.
I support you Paige!
#ISupportPaige
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