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Over the years, a few WWE female superstars have had a close relationship with Vince McMahon.
McMahon has been leading WWE for several decades. Throughout the years, he has worked closely with many male talents and eventually developed a few friendships with some of these wrestlers, including The Undertaker, R-Truth, and John Cena.
A few WWE female superstars also were/are close to The Chairman. One former superstar disclosed that McMahon treated her like a daughter. Meanwhile, another revealed that he was once her best friend.
Here are six WWE women who were/are close to Vince McMahon in real life.
#6. Vince McMahon treated Sunny as a daughter
After spending a few years in Smoky Mountain Wrestling, Sunny signed with WWE in the mid-1990s. Although she was not an in-ring competitor, the 49-year-old became one of the most popular characters on the roster.
Sunny spent about three years in Vince McMahon's company, where she was very close to The Chairman. In an old interview, the Hall of Famer spoke about her relationship with McMahon, revealing that he treated her like a daughter.
"He treated me like a daughter back then. He was very good to me. I was his golden girl. I was making him so much money. He treated me like gold. Anything I wanted, all I had to do was walk into Vince's office and I got it. I had creative control over what I was doing. Like if producers came to me and told me they wanted me to do a promo or do something ringside, if I didn't like it, I just went right to Vince's office and it was changed like that [snapped her fingures]. So, he did everything he could to make me happy," she said. [0:06-1:44]
Sunny left WWE in 1998. Since then, she has made a few sporadic appearances. In 2009, she competed in her only match inside a WWE ring when she participated in the Miss WrestleMania Battle Royal. Two years later, the former star entered the WWE Hall of Fame.
#5. Vince McMahon trusts Natalya
Being one of the veterans on the current roster, Natalya seems to be very respected backstage in WWE. The Queen of Harts also has a special relationship with The Chairman, Vince McMahon.
In an interview with the Out of Character podcast, the former SmackDown Women's Champion disclosed that McMahon trusts her and has always made time for her.
"In my entire time being in WWE, Vince has always made time for me. Being as busy as he is and being in the position he is, he's always heard me out. He's always listened, said 'yes,' said 'no,' said why he liked it or didn't like it, but I always felt I had a voice. I would go through the proper channels. (...) I know that takes time to build that relationship, but it's always been that mutual understanding."
She continued:
"Vince trusts me and trusts that I won't let him down. He's there and accessible if we need to talk to him. That's been something I've kept through my whole career. I don't want to abuse it, but when I need to go to him, I know I can," she said. [H/T: Wrestling Headlines]
Natalya is currently active on SmackDown. She is now the number one contender for Ronda Rousey's SmackDown Women's Championship. The two ladies will square off for the title at Money in the Bank on July 2.
#4. Vince McMahon was Eva Marie's biggest supporter
Despite having two runs in WWE, Eva Marie failed to make an impact in Vince McMahon's company. The former Total Divas star received a lot of criticism for lacking wrestling skills. Nevertheless, she seemingly had a close relationship with The Chairman, who she once described as "her number one supporter."
In an interview with the 411 Wrestling Interviews podcast two years ago, Marie spoke about her relationship with McMahon, disclosing that he supported her when she wanted to pursue an acting career.
"Vince was so supportive of TV, film, and he was the one who gave me permission to do my first film because I had to dye my hair black. So, if he didn't give me that OK or green light, and wasn't as supportive, then I wouldn't have been able to do that project. So, he's definitely been my No. 1 supporter my entire career. (...) Vince McMahon, I have a great relationship with him. He is definitely — anything that he says, you should take it and soak it up like a sponge because clearly, he knows what he is doing."
She continued:
"And I just am forever grateful to him because he gave me the opportunity. He gave me the shot. He took a chance on some kid that was a nobody, nothing, and he rolled the dice. And he was like, 'You know what? I see something in her. Let's see what could happen,' and thank god he did," she said.
Eva Marie's second run with WWE ended last November when the company released her from her contract due to budget cuts. In her last bout, she lost to Doudrop on Monday Night RAW.
#3. WWE 24/7 Champion Dana Brooke has a great relationship with Vince McMahon
In mid-2013, Dana Brooke joined Vince McMahon's company. Over the past nine years, the 33-year-old has developed a strong bond with The Chairman.
In a recent interview with NBC Boston, Brooke spoke about her relationship with McMahon, stating that she feels blessed and honored to have such a bond with the 76-year-old.
"Vince and I have developed a great relationship. I feel super comfortable going in, knocking on his door, just to say hi and sit down with him and tell him how appreciative I am to have the opportunities that have been given to me to perform with the best of the best. (...) I'm definitely blessed and honored to have a great relationship with Vince McMahon," she said. [H/T: EWrestling News]
Brooke is currently active on Monday Night RAW. She now holds the 24/7 Championship in her fifth reign.
#2. WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus is a good friend of Vince McMahon
During her early days in WWE, Trish Stratus worked closely with Vince McMahon. The two had one of the most controversial romance storylines in the company's history in 2001. Over the next few years, the Hall of Famer became the top female wrestler in WWE, winning seven women's championships before initially hanging up her boots in 2006.
During her time in WWE, Stratus developed a friendship with The Chairman. In an interview with Sportsvibe, she opened up about her relationship with McMahon.
"Vince is amazing, he is a great man and I can truly say that the reason I was probably so keen in the business is because I was given the privilege of working side-by-side with him. I was new to the company and four days a week I would be side-by-side with Vince so I really got to look into his mindset and saw the way he worked and saw what a perfectionist he was and what a performer he was and I tried to just soak it all in. (...)"
She continued:
"I learnt a lot from Vince and he is a really good friend of mine to this day and a mentor as a businessman. Since I've left wrestling I look back at a lot of the stuff he’s done and I think I've adapted some of his philosophies in what I've done, running my own Yoga studio and programs," she said. [H/T: Wrestling Inc.]
Since her retirement, Stratus has made several appearances in WWE. She also competed in a few matches. Her final bout came in 2019 when she lost to Charlotte Flair at SummerSlam.
#1. Sasha Banks was once "best friends" with Vince McMahon
After competing for a few years on the independent circuit, Sasha Banks joined WWE in 2012. Four years later, The Boss revealed in an interview with the Sam Roberts' Wrestling Podcast that she rarely talked to Vince McMahon because she was scared of him.
However, things seemingly changed a few years later. In an interview with Rasslin' with Brandon F. Walker last year, the former SmackDown Women's Champion disclosed that she had developed a close friendship with The Chairman. She even described him as her "best friend."
The Boss also opened up about her close relationship with Vince McMahon in another interview with We Have Cool Friends in 2019.
"He gave me a really good contract. We have this great relationship, because, you know, we talk money. He wants me to make him cool so I'm just helping him with his jokes, we'll text jokes to each other every single day. He sends me a private jet. He gave me my own bus. I'm just so blessed. I'm probably the first-ever woman to have her own bus," she said. [H/T: Wrestling Inc.]
Speaking to BT Sport's Ariel Helwani, Banks also stated that McMahon personally rejected her request to be released in 2019. However, their relationship recently went downhill after the former SmackDown Women's Champion walked out on the May 16 edition of Raw. Banks then unfollowed The Chairman on social media.
WWE reportedly released Sasha Banks from her contract a few hours ago, ending her 10-year tenure.
