Austin Aries Claims Christy Hemme Quote From 2013 Email Clears Him Of Sexual Harassment
Photo Credit: Impact Wrestling
Austin Aries says he’s not a predator or an abuser and now he’s sharing proof that he was never accused of sexual harassment by Christy Hemme.
Earlier this week, Aries posted a statement regarding claims he sexually assaulted several women, including a story from pro wrestler Ariela Nyx. Another story from a Rhett Titus shoot interview also resurfaced online, with Titus revealing that Aries talked his then-girlfriend into kissing his testicle in the locker room at a Ring Of Honor event.
Aries spoke with Chris Van Vliet last year about the now-infamous moment on TNA Wrestling where he stuck his crotch in Christy Hemme’s face after she botched the names of the competitors in the match. Aries backed her into a corner and demanded that she correctly announced his name before he then climbed to the second turnbuckle and stood with his crotch in Hemme’s face.
Aries ended up being fined $5,000 by the company, but maintained that he didn’t sexually harass her and was just in character. Aries is now sharing an alleged quote from Hemme clearing him of sexual harassment but claims TNA was supposed to release it to the public and never did.
“Actually to clear up a few things about that, I am not a victim and NEVER felt sexually harassed. Big difference between sexual harassment and his actions. Live TV is Live TV and we need to make quick decisions in the moment. I am a strong woman that makes it very clear what is and is not ok with me. As my own personal boundary if that was a story line that was presented I would have said no. Not acceptable. I made that clear. When he and I spoke, he was apologetic and very gracious about the whole thing. I have a great deal of respect for him, in and out of this business. Even more so after all of this.”
Aries told Chris Van Vliet that he and Hemme hashed things out shortly after the in-ring incident, but a Tweet she posted caused more harm to his character. Aries said Hemme’s Twitter response to a fan about Aries being inappropriate is what started everything, and despite writing an apology privately and dealing with things internally, Spike TV got involved and that led to Aries’ lawyer putting a gag order on him to prevent further damage.
Related: Austin Aries Refutes Recent Allegations, Says He’s Not A Sexual Predator Or An Abuser
Finished recording EP1 of my podcast w/ @JustinLeeper_yo. It’s personal, emotional and transparent. In honor of what’s to come, here’s a 2013 email to my lawyer with a quote from Christy Hemme that was supposed to be posted by TNA clearing me of sexual harassment. #SpeakingOut pic.twitter.com/ZiM2q0FAuf
— Austin Healy Aries (@AustinAries) June 24, 2020