Natalya On Her Father’s Issues with CTE, Forgiving Her Dad

Natalya recently appeared on WFAN to discuss a number of topics with BT & Sal. One of the topics was her relationship with her father, Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart. Natalya discussed her father’s medical issues and how they affected her growing up.

Natalya on her Father’s Issues With CTE

We ended up finding out that my dad had a traumatic brain injury. But I didn’t know that when we were growing up. We didn’t realize that until much much later on in my life. He had a brain injury. After he passed away, we were able to study his brain. We were able to see that his early years of playing tackle football without a helmet. My dad would brag about it. He would talk about, “When I was young, I would get my bell rung and my coaches just admired me and respected me so much because I would just keep playing. I would just go back out on the field and I would play.” and he kind of wore it. I mean, he wore it as a badge of honor. And that was in his teens, he started playing when he was 11 years old. So, we know now that because of what we know about concussions in WWE now and they’re just so careful about all of that. We have such an incredible protocol that really is just amazing but back in the 60s nobody had that.”

“Before I was even born my grandmother was noticing different changes in my dad. So, I just think that my dad living most of his life with a brain injury, it escalated as he got older, it definitely was coming to life more…for a long time, he was able to keep it together until he wasn’t able to keep it together.”

Natalya on Forgiving Her Dad

“Actually, the book was such a therapeutic experience for me because after writing the book, I was really able to forgive my dad. I was able to let go and forgive him for everything that had happened when we were growing up because I was able to understand that there were so many times that I was like, does he just not love us? Does he just not care about us? does he just not like why doesn’t why does he keep making these mistakes? Why is he missing flights? Why is he missing shows? Why is he making these choices? And so once we were able to unlock, you know, with the best brain doctors in the entire world. Once we were able to unlock what was really going on and they were able to say, “Yes, this is very consistent with his early years.” Um it just let me forgive my dad.”

“If my grandfather hadn’t stepped in and given us a place to live, I don’t know when I was 10, 11,12, you know, in those my early teens, I don’t know where we would have stayed. My mom was just trying to take care of us on our own and my dad was out of control. He just had so much pride and he always was trying to get it together, but he just never could get it together. He didn’t want to face my grandfather. He still was a man that had so much pride. He was like a lion that still wanted to roar, but he just couldn’t get it together. And I don’t think he had the capacity to. Now I understand it and I’ve totally forgiven my dad. But you know, it doesn’t change the fact that when you’re a kid, you go through all that.

On Wanting to be Perfect When She Got To WWE

These early years made me want to be absolutely perfect when I got to WWE. I was like hellbent on showing the WWE, you know, the upper management that I was going to be nothing like my dad. I was going to be so perfect that I was going to be the best, you know, female wrestler that they’ve ever had. And so I had these really high expectations for myself where I would literally just do I was like the ultimate people pleaser. And so I write about that in the book too because I was like all I ever wanted to do was be what they wanted me to be. Then I realized that at the end of the book I was like be who you need to be. Be who you need to be for you. Don’t worry about what Vince McMahon wants or what Triple H wants or what this person wants or what that person wants or what you think this person needs. Be you. And when you can really just be your true authentic self is when you do your best work.”

You can listen to Natalya’s full interview here:

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit WFAN with a h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.