During a recent appearance on the “Wrestling Shoot Interviews” podcast, former WWE Divas Champion Melina revealed that she had declined an offer to do a photoshoot for Playboy magazine during her WWE run in the 2000s.
Melina said, “There’s nothing wrong with doing it. It’s just my mentality back then was, ‘The main reason I got into wrestling was for wrestling.’ It does change how people perceive you when you do certain things. So it’s not to say like, ‘Oh, I look down on people who do it.’ It’s just knowing how it will affect you in the future.”
Melina noted that some of her WWE co-workers used to get upset when fans wanted them to sign copies of the Playboy magazines they posed for. While Melina didn’t reveal any names, the WWE Divas who posed during her time included Torrie Wilson, Candice Michelle, Ashley Massaro, Maria Kanellis, and Christy Hemme.
She continued, “That look of frustration, like, ‘Really? You’re just gonna slap that on there?’ I would look at that and think, ‘I really gotta think this completely through.’ In my heart, the reason I didn’t want to do it was [because] I didn’t want somebody to come into my dad’s music store and put that [Playboy] magazine in my dad’s face. Also, I didn’t want the person I’m dating, the person I love, to see other guys see me naked. He’s the only one who’s going to see me naked.”
Melina also recalled an interaction with Vince McMahon in 2011 following a Battle Royal match for a shot at the WWE Divas Championship.
The match didn’t go according to plan as Gail Kim went off script by eliminating herself from the match and quitting WWE.
At the following SmackDown TV taping, McMahon told something to the former MNM valet, and Melina realized that she would be fired soon after.
Melina noted, “I was in Gorilla [Position] and Vince was passing by and he stopped and he turned and he looked at me and he said, ‘You have a good night. I was like, ‘Holy f***, I’m getting fired.’ He just said ‘f*** you’ to me, but with a good night. As soon as he said, ‘Have a good night,’ I knew I was marked.”
Melina was released from her WWE contract in August 2011.
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Former WWE Divas Champion Melina recently revealed in an interview that she had turned down an offer to do a photoshoot for Playboy magazine during her time with WWE in the 2000s. While some of her colleagues had posed for the magazine, Melina explained that she declined the opportunity because she wanted to focus on her wrestling career and didn’t want certain actions to affect how people perceived her.
Melina acknowledged that there was nothing wrong with doing a Playboy photoshoot, but she wanted to prioritize her passion for wrestling. She understood that certain choices could have long-term consequences and impact how others viewed her. She didn’t want her actions to negatively affect her future in the industry.
During her time in WWE, Melina witnessed her co-workers facing frustration when fans asked them to sign copies of the Playboy magazines they had posed for. Although she didn’t mention any specific names, some of the WWE Divas who posed for Playboy during her era included Torrie Wilson, Candice Michelle, Ashley Massaro, Maria Kanellis, and Christy Hemme. Melina observed their frustration and realized that she needed to carefully consider the potential repercussions of such decisions.
Melina shared her personal reasons for declining the Playboy offer. She didn’t want someone to bring a Playboy magazine featuring her to her father’s music store and potentially embarrass him. Additionally, she didn’t want anyone other than her partner to see her naked. These personal boundaries influenced her decision to prioritize her wrestling career over other opportunities.
In addition to discussing her decision regarding the Playboy offer, Melina also recalled an interaction with WWE Chairman Vince McMahon in 2011. After a Battle Royal match for a shot at the WWE Divas Championship went off-script due to Gail Kim eliminating herself and quitting WWE, Melina sensed that her time with the company was coming to an end. McMahon’s words during a SmackDown TV taping indicated that she was marked for termination.
Melina’s intuition proved correct, as she was released from her WWE contract in August 2011. Despite her departure from the company, she has continued to make appearances in the wrestling industry and remains a beloved figure among fans.
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