Former Sonya Deville Talks Coming Out As Gay In WWE, Whether She Got Hate Backstage

Former WWE star Sonya Deville came out as gay accidentally to the world back when she was on "WWE Tough Enough," but she explained she was never discriminated against backstage. Deville recently appeared on "The Ariel Helwani Show" to talk about everything from her WWE release back in February to her time in the MMA world. Deville, the first openly gay woman in WWE, said that sexuality is more talked about in MMA.

"I received no hate or any kind of discrimination backstage with my co-workers," she explained. "I was just Daria. There was nothing to it. I don't know why it's not as prevalent [in WWE]. I feel like everyone has their own story. MMA is like a broad thing. There's different organizations and stuff. WWE, specifically... is more tight knit. We're on the road together every single week. MMA is a little different, right? ...Maybe it's a little more personal in WWE and they like to keep their private life private."

Deville explained that WWE initially making her sexuality part of her gimmick didn't bother her. She said she fully embraced it and she was in her "rainbow flag era." Deville said that she hadn't ever really lived her truth and was coy about her sexuality outside of those who knew, so she got excited after she came out.

"I was like, 'Oh, yay!' People were sending me nice messages and saying like, 'Thank you for speaking your truth.' I didn't realize what was happening. I was like so naive to it. I was like, 'Oh. Wait. I'm doing something people are proud of. I should be proud of myself.' I got really excited and I was all for it."

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "The Ariel Helwani Show" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.