AJ Styles Says Fans ‘Swarmed’ Him During WrestleMania Week

AJ Styles has shared his experience meeting large crowds during WrestleMania 42 week in Las Vegas, describing how fan interactions extended beyond scheduled appearances. He spoke about the situation on his Phenomenally Retro podcast.

WrestleMania week typically includes multiple fan events, signings, and live shows, which increases foot traffic around venues and hotels each year. Fans from all across the world come to conventions and meet-and-greets to meet their favorite wrestlers and personalities. However, there have been multiple reports of less-than-pleasant fan interactions with wrestlers this year. While Styles was not an active participant in the show, he was present as a 2026 WWE Hall of Famer and a talent scout with the company.

On his podcast, AJ Styles explained that after completing meet-and-greet sessions, he often encountered more groups of fans as he moved through public spaces, such as his hotel. He said these moments could become difficult to manage, especially after long days of appearances. He made efforts to remain respectful while setting boundaries (via Fightful).

“Here’s the thing that fans got to accept. Just because we’re walking through the hotel to get to our room, we’re not even hanging out. We’re just trying to get to our room. We have been at signings all day and you get kind of exhausted because we’re trying to be a in a good mood for you at that point for sure, especially for people who paid to see. We want to make sure you get your money’s worth, and it’s a little exhausting. I know you’re like, ‘Well, all you gotta do is stand there.’ But we’re doing it for a couple of hours.

“I don’t think anybody was impolite to a degree. For instance, I’m not taking pictures because once I start, I’ll never stop. So, if I have my family with me, I can’t do that. I said, ‘Hey, I’m not taking pictures right now, I’m sorry.’ They just swarmed me like bees. Even this one guy, even though I told him, ‘No pictures, I can’t’ — he was walking and [extending his phone] and laying on me and stuff like that. I’m like, ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa.’ Finally, security was able to find me and take me to the elevator. I understand that they think they know the superstars because they’ve watched them for so long, but at the same time, you’ve gotta remember that they’re real people. It can get overwhelming when that many people swarm you like that. No means no with pictures and what not. If they ask you not to, chill out.”

Styles also revealed why he no longer does airport signings. He also pointed to logistical challenges, noting that security teams appeared stretched due to the volume of attendees.

“I don’t normally do a lot of stuff at airports because the people who have waited there so they can sign five or six or seven of their things are going to sell them. They have ruined it for a lot of people. If I see you outside and it’s just me and you at a restaurant, man I’m happy to sign something for you. I’ll take a picture with you, that doesn’t bother me one bit. But we’re in a group of hundreds of people, I can’t do that. It can be difficult in all of these different situations. Security, there wasn’t enough and they were overworked I’m sure because of all the stuff they had to do. They had no idea that it could be this bad, I’m sure. I get it. We’re real people.”

Styles emphasized the importance of personal boundaries, particularly when family members are present. He stated that his priority remains ensuring their safety and comfort during public appearances.

“I’ll say this too. If you frighten my daughter, I’m going to turn into a real weirdo. I go into protect mode and it gets real. I don’t want that. I don’t want to be a bad guy like that but my job is to take care of my family and I will do just that. I will get loud and scary. My job is to protect them, if I can’t protect them, then I get a little crazy.”

WrestleMania 42 took place in Las Vegas, drawing large crowds across multiple events throughout the week.