Natalya's WWE HOFer Dad Once Gave Kindergarten Class Hilariously Bad Advice

In 2025, Natalya Neidhart released her first book, titled "The Last Hart Beating," with the WWE star recounting stories from her childhood all the way through today. Plenty of those stories involve her father, the late WWE Hall of Famer Jim Neidhart. Sitting down for an interview with The Wrestling Classic, Natalya offered a preview of the book by recounting one of her favorite memories involving her father.

"My dad came to my kindergarten class," Natalya said. "All the kids in my kindergarten class, their parents were all so nice and normal, it seemed. And then my dad comes in, no shirt on, fanny pack, Rolex watch, Rayban sunglasses, Air Jordans, sweat dripping off his chest, shows up on a Ninja motorcycle, and barges into my kindergarten class."

According to Natalya, her classmates were immediately enamored with "The Anvil," who she described as appearing like he belonged in the famously bearded band ZZ Top. Wearing knee pads and spandex, Jim entered the classroom and offered the group of five- and six-year-olds some questionable advice.

"He's like, 'I'm here to tell you that ... school's not important.' He's like, 'Do well in sports,'" Natalya continued. "My kindergarten teacher was trying to pull my dad off stage. She's like, 'No!' My dad's like, 'Yes! Yes!' My dad never came back to my class after that."

Natalya noted that her father was an extremely talented athlete, even as a youth, and much of his success was due to that aspect of his life. Before becoming a pro wrestler, Jim Neidhart excelled at shot put and went on to play in the NFL after college. Following an in-ring career that spanned two decades, Neidhart (mostly) retired in 1998. He died in 2018 at the age of 63, leaving behind a wife and three daughters, including Natalya.