10 Times WWE Wrestlers Were Punished For Speaking Out
1. AJ Lee Got Punished For Refusing To Do Mentally Ill Character
AJ Lee had quite an eventful career with WWE between 2009 and 2015 and found herself rising among the ranks to become a three-time Divas Champion. However, her final days with WWE were not smooth, as she got caught between the company and her husband CM Punk's controversial exit from WWE in 2014. She was also pretty outspoken and publicly criticized WWE's treatment of female performers and the pay disparity, which prompted a response from Stephanie McMahon, and Vince McMahon also had to acknowledge the issue.
She retired from in-ring competition in April 2015, citing permanent damage to her cervical spine as the key factor behind her decision. Following her exit, AJ Lee focused on her writing career and published a memoir titled "Crazy Is My Superpower: How I Triumphed by Breaking Bones, Breaking Hearts, and Breaking the Rules," in April 2017, which went on to make the New York Times Best Sellers list.
While talking to the New York Post to promote the memoir, AJ Lee recalled when WWE punished her for refusing to portray a mentally ill character in 2012. Lee revealed that WWE officials pitched a character that would hallucinate and showcase other cartoonish behavior. Lee felt that the character was disrespectful to people dealing with mental health issues, as she and her mother had dealt with bipolar disorder. She revealed that WWE punished her for refusing to portray the character by taking her off television for two months. However, she persevered and had to play a different version of the pitched character which wasn't disrespectful, and enjoyed a successful career until her retirement in 2015.