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Former WWE Chairwoman Stephanie McMahon discussed her friendship with Andre the Giant in a recent documentary about the legendary superstar's rivalry with Hulk Hogan.
Andre the Giant was one of the top attractions in the wrestling business in the 1980s. Stephanie McMahon, born in 1976, attended dozens of WWE shows as a child, including the first WrestleMania event in 1985.
In the latest A&E WWE Rivals episode, McMahon recalled how she fell asleep on the seven-foot-four Frenchman's lap at a party after WrestleMania:
"Andre and I, we were friends. WrestleMania 1, I sat on Andre the Giant's lap and actually fell asleep at the WrestleMania after-party. You felt this unbelievable energy from him. He had such a presence, such a connection to the people."
Andre the Giant defeated Big John Studd in a Career vs. $15,000 Body Slam Challenge at WrestleMania 1. Last week, WWE Hall of Famer The Undertaker spoke about Andre disliking Studd in real life.
How Andre the Giant and Stephanie McMahon became friends
On January 27, 1993, Andre the Giant passed away at the age of 46 due to congestive heart failure. Later that year, he became the first inductee in the WWE Hall of Fame.
In 2022, Stephanie McMahon spoke to D Magazine about her friendship with the former WWE Champion:
"I knew my friend, and I didn't like how people treated him differently just because of his size. And that was actually how we bonded, because I asked him one day if it bothered him. And I think he was surprised that such a little person would ask him such a big question. That was the genesis of our relationship."
Hulk Hogan recently paid an emotional tribute to Andre the Giant while discussing their legendary rivalry.
Do you have any favorite Andre the Giant memories? Let us know in the comments section below.
Please credit A&E's WWE Rivals and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use the first set of quotes from this article.
