In a recent interview with Adam Silverstein of the Getting Over: Wrestling Podcast, former WWE NXT Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez discussed several topics, including the real-life parallels with the depression and anxiety storyline on WWE NXT.

“A lot of people don’t know that was real, it wasn’t just a storyline, I do deal with anxiety, I’ve dealt with depression and continue to, it’s something you try to work around and try to live with and find resources to help you deal with those things.

There is still a stigma around it, and I wanted to kind of break that stigma. Whether it was me suddenly talking about it and making it okay and normal to say, I’m a WWE superstar and I deal with anxiety.

My main goal, I knew it was something I needed to watch on TV when I was a kid, I definitely knew that would have helped me. If I could help anyone, whether it be kids or adults, or anyone that needs to hear that someone else is going through that as well, then I’m glad to be the person to do that.”

All episodes of the podcast can be found at this link.