Former WWE NXT Star Velveteen Dream Arrested

Patrick Clark, formerly known as Velveteen Dream during his time in WWE's "NXT" brand, was recently arrested in Orlando, Florida.

According to online court records, Clark is charged with first-degree misdemeanor counts of battery and trespassing. The charges were filed with the Orange County, Florida courts on August 20. Details on the allegations were not available late Monday night. Under "Marsy's Law," alleged victims in Florida can request that certain court documents be kept confidential.

Clark was arrested by Orlando Police and taken to the Orange County Jail. He was released after posting $1,200 cash bond on August 22. Clark's first court appearance was to be an arraignment scheduled for September 28. However, his lawyer submitted a written plea of not guilty and waived his arraignment.

Clark recently returned to social media, posting on his Instagram account in an apparent bid to draw the attention of WWE. Clark was in the company's developmental system for more than five years after first catching the eye of talent scouts as a contestant on "Tough Enough" in 2015. Clark broke out as a star on "NXT" beginning in 2017, winning over fans as Velveteen Dream. He won the "NXT" North American Championship in 2019.

Velveteen Dream appeared to be destined for WWE's main roster, but the call-up never came. Instead, his once-rising star faded. Fans soured on the character after Clark was publicly called out for alleged sexual misconduct starting in early 2020. In August 2020, Paul "Triple H" Levesque stated that WWE's own investigation did not uncover any wrongdoing. WWE released Clark in May 2021, reportedly due to behavioral issues.