Former WWE Star Kelly Kelly Recalls Turning Down Playboy

Since the promotion's big boom in the '80s, WWE has witnessed most of its stars expand their wings and accept invites for projects outside of the squared circle. Whether they're presented with opportunities in the acting, modeling, or music worlds, when opportunity knocks, most of them answer. In the case of ex-WWE Superstar Kelly Kelly, there was one opportunity in particular that she turned down after some careful consideration. During her interview with former colleague Layla El, Kelly Kelly recounted how Playboy approached her to model for its magazine, and what ultimately made her decide to decline the offer.

"Well, I remember them asking me to do it, and I remember I was like, 'Oh, well, I have to talk to my family,' because I was literally 21, " she said on "LayTalk." "I just remember in the back of my head being like, you know, if I do this, it's going to haunt me for the rest of my life. Like, these pictures are never going to go away...I know I want to have kids. I don't want to have that on the internet."

Even though her family supported whichever decision she made, Kelly Kelly decided to stick to her initial decision and turn down the offer. Happy that she did, she continued honing in on her wrestling craft. It all paid off when she became a former Divas Champion after defeating Hall of Famer Brie Bella at "WWE Raw: Power to the People" in June 2011. She held the title for 104 days before dropping it to another Hall of Famer, Beth Phoenix, at Hell in a Cell 2011. Though she departed WWE in 2012, Kelly Kelly has made several appearances since.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "LayTalk Podcast with Layla El" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.