The REAL Reason Why AEW's Darby Allin Paints His Face

Something happened when he was five years old that changed everything...

Darby Allin
AEW
"I paint my face because 50 percent of me is dead inside".

That's a pretty dramatic statement, but AEW's Darby Allin told Sports Illustrated that he wears paint on only one half of his face for a very specific reason.

When Darby was five years old, he was in the car with his uncle. His uncle had been drinking, crashed the vehicle and ended up dying from his injuries. That horrific incident has stayed with Allin ever since, and the painful memory now plays a part in his on screen character.

It's also why he has a tattoo on his chest that says, "Nothing's over 'til you're underground".

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The circumstances behind that car crash are partly why Darby is straight edge and abstains from drugs and alcohol. He told SI that this is true to a point, but he also promised himself he wouldn't let drugs or booze become a crutch if he couldn't achieve any of his goals in life.

Allin also said he'd watched several talented friends blow their potential as skateboarders by becoming addicted to drugs and alcohol. He was determined he wouldn't do the same.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.