Why Christy Hemme Was Released From WWE, Explained
Mia Russell Read update
- Christy Hemme made a splash in WWE in the mid-2000s with a memorable run that included her challenging Trish Stratus for the Women's Championship at WrestleMania 21. Her departure from the company felt abrupt to fans, though, leading all manner of speculation about what happened. Hemme didn't leave the business altogether, instead signing with TNA where she wound up having a much longer wrestling career in the varied roles of wrestler, manager, interviewer, and ring announcer. She left in 2016 and did make one appearance for WWE, but her most recent attempt to get back into the business ina more substantial way wound up getting derailed.
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The WWE Diva Search competition started in 2003, with multiple women competing against each other in sometimes cringeworthy stunts to get signed with the company. Christy Hemme was one of the first wrestlers to win this competition, and she received a $250,000 contract.
Hemme’s time in WWE was short-lived, however, as she got released in December 2005. She wasn’t the most talented female wrestler on the roster by any means, but she also wasn’t the worst. Her release came as a surprise to many fans, but why exactly was she released? Considering there were some rumors surrounding her release, there may not be a simple answer to this question.
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Christy Hemme made a splash in WWE in the mid-2000s with a memorable run that included her challenging Trish Stratus for the Women's Championship at WrestleMania 21. Her departure from the company felt abrupt to fans, though, leading all manner of speculation about what happened. Hemme didn't leave the business altogether, instead signing with TNA where she wound up having a much longer wrestling career in the varied roles of wrestler, manager, interviewer, and ring announcer. She left in 2016 and did make one appearance for WWE, but her most recent attempt to get back into the business ina more substantial way wound up getting derailed.
WWE Creative Had Nothing For Christy Hemme
The Official Reason For WWE Letting Christy Hemme Go Related To Not Having Ideas For How To Use Her
- Christy Hemme's WWE run peaked with a WrestleMania match against Trish Stratus.
- Christy Hemme transitioned to the developmental system in Ohio Valley Wrestling after her biggest bout.
- WWE let Christy Hemme go, claiming it was about the budget and lack of creative ideas for her.
This was WWE’s official reasoning as to why they let Christy Hemme go in 2005. A few months before she was fired, Hemme had a WrestleMania match against Trish Stratus (which was the only women's match on the card) for the Women’s Title. But then a couple of Raw and SmackDown matches, as well as a pay-per-view match against Victoria, later Christy was sent back to Ohio Valley Wrestling.
The plan was probably to give her more training and further develop her as a wrestler and bring her back, but that didn’t happen. Instead, Hemme got released from her contract and the company stated it was due to budget cuts and simply not having anything for her in terms of creative.
This release came as a surprise to fans as well as Christy, who said in an interview with DS Shin of Ring The Belle (H/T Diva Dirt):
“I was shocked too. I was heartbroken. You know what? I was heartbroken, to say the least. I just loved it so much, I didn’t want it to end. It took me a while to come back from that.”
Triple H Was Rumored To Be Involved With Hemme's Release
There May Have Been More To The Story Of Christy Hemme And WWE Parting Ways
- Christy Hemme herself alluded to there being more to the story about how her WWE run ended.
- While not substantiated, rumors swirled about something inappropriate happening between Triple H and Christy Hemme.
But was the creative having nothing for her the real reason she left the company? Turns out this wasn’t the case, as a few years later, Christy, who had now become a part of TNA, said that she left WWE on her own terms “because I stuck to my guns on my morals and values as a human being.” At that time she didn’t talk too much about it.
In 2016, she was interviewed on The Tomorrow Show by Keven Undergaro (H/T 411Mania) where she again talked about her WWE release and revealed some additional information. When Keven asked her about why WWE fired her, Hemme again reiterated that she is a strong woman who lives by her morals and she won’t budge even if anyone asks her to do something that is not within her principles. The host tried to ask more about it and Christy said, “It was one specific incident, so I’m just gonna leave it at that, ’cause I don’t need to go into details.” She explained it wasn’t related to wrestling but politics behind the scenes.
Before diving deep into the topic, fans should know that when Christy was released in 2005, there was this one rumor that she acted inappropriately around Triple H. Wade Keller reported that and he said that when Stephanie McMahon found out about this, she was understandably not happy. This was just a rumor of course, and this could or could not have been the reason behind her release.
Speculation That Vince McMahon Made A Settlement With Christy Hemme For Sexual Misconduct
When Vince McMahon Faced A Bevy Of Alllegations, It Renewed Interest In Questions About Christy Hemme
- Vince McMahon faced a range of allegations of wrongdoings in recent years that contributed to him stepping away from ownership and his leadership role with WWE.
- Due to legal considerations, a number of women involved in Vince McMahon's scandals have remained unknown to the public, but fans have developed theories related to the timeline and how Christy Hemme left WWE.
Last year, they Wall Street Journal reported that Vince McMahon paid $12 million to four women as hush money. The article also talked about a $7.5 settlement with a former female wrestler that McMahon forced her into giving him fellatio and later demoted her and refused to renew her contract when she refused his sexual advances further. That wrestler in question negotiated a settlement in 2018 with McMahon.
"The previously unreported settlements include a $7.5 million pact with a former wrestler who alleged that Mr. McMahon coerced her into giving him oral sex and then demoted her and, ultimately, declined to renew her contract in 2005 after she resisted further sexual encounters, according to people familiar with the matter. The wrestler and her attorney approached Mr. McMahon in 2018 and negotiated the payment in return for her silence, the people said." (h/t Wall Street Journal)
10 Things WWE Fans Need To Know About The Vince McMahon Lawsuit
Vince McMahon finds himself in legal trouble once again. Here are a few facts and details regarding his latest lawsuit.But how does Christy fit into all of this? While it hasn’t been confirmed by anyone, there’s a ton of speculation that the wrestler McMahon forced into giving him oral sex was none other than Christy Hemme. Her timeline matches what WSJ wrote in their article. Hemme was demoted in 2005 (when she was sent to OVW) before being released unexpectedly.
McMahon's alleged crimes would continue to come to public light in 2024. On January 25th, Former WWE employee Janel Grant would sue Vince McMahon & the WWE for various sexual crimes. The details of the lawsuit are absolutely dreadful to read, but if you wish to know more the full public document is found here(Trigger Warning concerning sexual assault).
Christy Hemme's Career Outside WWE
Christy Hemme Had A Long TNA Tenure And Explored Other Wrestling Endeavors
- Christy Hemme's run with TNA was longer than her WWE one.
- Christy Hemme worked a manager, feuding with The Voodoo Kin Mafia, better known to WWE fans as The New Age Outlaws.
- Christy Hemme spent longest stretch of her TNA run as a ring announcer and backstage interviewer.
While Christy Hemme had the most eyes on her when she worked for WWE, she actually spent a much longer stretch of her career in pro wrestling working with TNA. After less than two years with WWE, Hemme debuted for TNA in 2008. Hemme filled various hosting roles, before feuding with The Voodoo Kin Mafia (better known to WWE fans as The New Age Outlaws), culminating in her managing the Rock 'n' Rave Infection tag team of Lance Hoyt and Jimmy Rave.
13 Things Fans Forget About Christy Hemme's Wrestling Career
Christy Hemme has quite the overlooked WWE & TNA career. Let's look back at some things fans forget about this red-haired wrestling personality!After a stint wrestling in the Knockouts division, Hemme settled into work as a ring announcer and backstage interviewer, periodically involved in various angles with active wrestlers. Hemme didn't leave TNA until 2016, and afterward did make one appearance under the WWE banner, but only at the WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony in support of Beth Phoenix. Hemme's most recent venture in the business came in 2020 when she announced the launch of a new hybrid wrestling promotion and reality series with Lita and Gail Kim, but that idea fizzled with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in the weeks to follow.
Ultimately, the details remain fuzzy about how and why Christy Hemme's relationship with WWE ended when it did, with fans left to follow the bread crumbs and speculate. Nonetheless, Hemme was a memorable character there, and went on to have a noteworthy career related to other wrestling endeavors.
