WWE let go 18 talents on Thursday, and amongst them was Nia Jax. Her departure came as a great surprise due to her being related to The Rock and believed to have a job for as long as she wanted. However, not long after the news broke of her release, the New York Post would report that WWE made the decision because she was unvaccinated.
Now, the former WWE talent has issued a statement addressing her release, revealing that she was on a mental health break at the time. She would note that she had been told to return for the November 15th episode of Raw but had requested additional time off and received no response. She would also add that her vaccination status was not addressed when she was informed of her release.
I usually keep my personal life private, but yesterday’s reports leave me with no option but to clarify matters. I recently took a short leave of absence from WWE for a mental health break. I’ve been working through so much — more than I can share — and so I took some time, with the full support of the company, to take care of myself.
Earlier this week, after WWE sent me my schedule to return to the ring for the November 15 show, I asked for an extension to my mental health break, feeling that I needed more time, and hoping I would have the ongoing support of the company I have given my all to for the past 7 years. I did not receive a response. The next I heard, I was being released. My vaccination status was never mentioned. I wasn’t given any choices or options.
It breaks my heart to be so abruptly let go, without consultation, when dealing with so much privately. I loved my career at WWE, I love the men and women I worked with, and I am going to need time to process this huge loss. I appreciate those people who have shown understanding and compassion during an incredibly difficult time.
Nia JaxJax signed with WWE in early 2014 and trained at the WWE Performance Center before making her in-ring debut in 2015 on an NXT house show. By mid-2016, she would be drafted to Raw and became a prominent part of the women’s division holding the Raw Women’s Championship on one occasion. Her final WWE appearance would come on the September 20 episode of Raw, when Shayna Baszler, who she twice held the Women’s Tag Team Championship, attacked her after their match and broke her arm in kayfabe. It had been thought it would result in Jax returning as a babyface and feuding with Baszler, but obviously, that is no longer happening.
