10 Things You Didn’t Know About Sasha Banks

4. A Brother And A Half

Rather commendably for someone who performs under the hyper-intense spotlight that is the WWE, Sasha Banks has kept her personal life more private than most. Basic details are known but little more than that, as The Boss has done an excellent job of managing and minimising the invasiveness of celebrity life. Insert your own ‘Boss’ and ‘managing’ joke wherever you see fit.

Banks has been able to control the narrative when it comes to her family, her difficult upbringing and the rollercoaster that is growing up with a disabled sibling. Sasha’s brother has autism, a developmental disorder that in truth defies description, largely because of how unique every autistic individual is. There are a few constants, social interaction difficulties, problems with communication, empathy and more, but only those who have experienced living with autism or an autistic person can understand how hard it can be.

By all accounts, it sounds as if Sasha’s brother is doing well now, undoubtedly helped by relative stability and a healthier family unit. Banks has told some terrifying stories in the past of seizures and near-death moments but has also been quick to note that such experiences gave her an iron will and an absolute appreciation for life.

WWE entered into a partnership with the Special Olympics in 2018, and Banks was quick to put herself front and centre of the campaign. In an interview she said that her experiences with her brother made her involvement a no-brainer, stating that she “…saw what he had to go through, with people making fun of him and telling him he couldn’t do something because he had a disability. So it’s such an honor to help represent the Special Olympics.”