Paige Talks Celebrating Three Years Of Sobriety
On Oral Sessions, the inaugural NXT Women's Champion and former WWE Divas Champion Paige joined Renee Paquette on her show to talk about her now three-year journey towards sobriety. Paige reported that throughout this pandemic, she has been able to stay on top of her sobriety goals and continues to find herself in a much better place physically and mentally. When asked what jumpstarted her to break her drug and alcohol habit, she says it was the WWE giving her a second chance, as well as her loyal fanbase that propelled her to get clean.
"So, the drugs thing kind of happened when I started coming back...when I got the call to come back to WWE because that lifted my spirits a lot," Paige replied. "I was like, I don't want to f–k up anymore.
"Then, seeing this little girl randomly at a grocery store, too. I looked like doo-doo, right? She looked at me like I was this superhero, like Wonder Woman or something. Obviously, she doesn't read social media and doesn't see, like, me in the dirt sheets or in the headlines or whatever. She was so happy to see me, and she was like, 'I want to be like you one day.' I was like, 'Oh, my God!' It really is an awakening moment. There are so many boys and girls out there looking up to us as role models. I'm not saying I'm the perfect role model – I'm not – but I feel like people look up to me because I've messed up so many times and fought back afterward. Now, I'm on a good and positive journey."
Paige also credits her boyfriend/Escape the Fate's lead vocalist, Ronnie Radke, for keeping her on track throughout her sobriety.
"I get chills thinking about it. It feels good to be happy and not have anyone mess with you," she exclaimed on staying three years sober. "I have a wonderful boyfriend who encourages me...He is the reason why I stopped vaping. He was like, 'You look stupid vaping,' and I was like, 'You're right.' Me and him have stopped drinking together. You really need a good support system like that."
Now that she has more time to focus on other projects, she announced on the show that she is in the process of writing a two-book memoir about her life. In it, she explains that there will be many stories about all the good and bad trials and tribulations she's faced in her 16-year career.
"Even though I'm still in WWE, I feel like my own boss at this point," she began on her career outside of WWE. "I do have Twitch, and I'm doing something else that obviously you're aware of, but no one else is. I've been in a lot of meetings, and I can't wait to share it eventually with everybody. But I'm also doing a book as well, which I'm really excited about. I've been writing down notes and stuff. I feel like I'm in a wonderful space to do it. It's about time.
"[It's about] growing up and everything. I'm even making it a two-book series 'cause I'm like I have so many stories. It's stories that'll shock people – it's what I thought was normal, but it isn't normal to most people. It's not bad; I've just experienced a lot of things."
You can listen to Paige's full interview here. If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Oral Sessions w/Renée Paquette with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.