Saraya Reflects on Her Past Struggles With Drugs & Sobriety, Says She’s Grateful for Hitting Rock Bottom

During a recent interview with Wrestling With Freddie, former WWE and AEW star Saraya (aka Paige) discussed the personal demons she overcame during her career, revealing she was struggling with drugs, drinking, and sobriety, eventually hitting rock bottom. She detailed the period of her career when she was dealing with a lot in her personal life, including struggles with addiction, and referencing her sex tapes being leaked. Below are some highlights:

Saraya on Her Struggles With Drugs and Alcohol and Hitting Rock Bottom

“Yeah. Yeah. You know, I thought I mean, even when I, you know, I had that year and a half where I was just an absolute mess when it come to drinking, drugs, I was popping drug tests. I was like — there was leaks that happened to me, you know, all these crazy things happened, and I hit complete rock bottom. No pun intended with that rock bottom, but like I was in a really bad plac,e and everyone did think I was going to die. I remember when I came back on the first day, and like Vince [McMahon] gave me a hug, Stephanie [McMahon], Hunter [Triple H], and they were like, ‘We thought we weren’t ever going to see you again. We thought you were going to die.’ You know, it was just it was a very rough patch that I went through. But again, I’m very grateful that, you know, some people wouldn’t say that they’re grateful for the bottom that they hit, but I’m very grateful for it cuz I feel like, you know, I’m the right person to take those things cuz I did come out the other side, and now I can help so many other people with it. And I get so many people talking to me about sobriety. And at my signings, people will come up to me and be like, ‘I got sober because of you.’ You know, and I just love that I’m inspiring people with, you know, the **** that I put myself through. And I’m grateful for it now, you know. I feel like I’m the perfect spokesperson. But yeah, no, I’m just I’m grateful. And you know, I wrote a book about it too, about everything.”

On William Regal Inspiring the Title of Her Book About Her Life Experiences

“Hell in Boots. And it was called Hell in Boots because of uh William Regal, actually. And when I first got to FCW at the time, it wasn’t NXT. Um, you know, I was a little, you know, ass kicker. You know, I came in, I was very rough compared to the girls back then. And, you know, I was wearing Doc Martens. I had my black hair, piercings. I was very pale and stuff. And I used to wrestle like a guy, right? And so, William Regal used to say, you know, ‘Oh, she’s Helll in Boots,’ you know, so I loved that so much that I was like, ‘If I was to ever write a book one day, that is what I would be calling it.’ And it was just perfect. And then there was like a little subtitle, whatever, below, and it and I put, ‘Clawing My Way Through Nine Lives,’ because I think I’m like a cat in a previous life, you know? I always land on my feet somehow, and I survived so many different things.”

On What Inspired Her To Finally Get Sober

“You know, for some people, like you can’t tell an addict they have a problem. They have to figure it out themselves, you know, but you can’t be there for them. And one of the most important things that I had is I got rid of all the toxic people in my life, and I surrounded myself — like that’s why I talked about in therapy. My therapist talks about this, is community is the most important thing that an addict needs, and also anyone going through depression and all that kind of stuff too. So, you know, I have my core group of people, my friends got sober with me, you know, and I thought that was amazing. They really helped me. My friends Joey and Raquel, who work with me on the podcast and stuff like that, too. They let me move in with them. I just decided one day I was like, ‘I can’t do this.’ And it’s because I went into a grocery store one day, and I was actually going to get liquor and stuff, you know, and I had this big mat in my hair cuz I wasn’t taking care of myself. I was really skinny, the skinniest I’ve ever been. And there was a little girl who was a fan of me in there, and she was just happy to see me. I was like a superhero to her, you know, and I thought, you know, being a role model, I had to be perfect. But she has no idea what I’m going through. She just thinks, ‘Oh man, this is Paige. You know, she was the Divas Champion kind of thing. She’s my, you know, she’s my hero, and I’m making her day.’ And something just clicked where I was just like, ‘Man, I want to be better for my friends, my family, my fans. Like, something needs to change.'”

Saraya on WWE Helping With Her Drug Counseling

“And so, I remember giving — and WWE helped me with this, too. I gave them a call, and they instantly was like, ‘Okay, let’s get you a drugs and alcohol counselor. Let’s bring you back to Orlando. Let’s like, you know, we want to help you, and we’ll get you back into training.’ And I thank them every day for that cuz they really helped save my life, you know. They never gave up on me and just appreciate that so much. And then I called my friends Joey and Raquel in Orlando, and they were like, ‘Come live with us,’ cuz they can keep an eye on me and make sure I’m doing the right thing, you know. And I went cold turkey with all of this, too. So it was really rough. And I wouldn’t recommend it to people to do cold turkey cuz it’s not healthy. I would like, you know, go get help, go to rehab, or whatever you need to do. But I went back to Orlando. I moved in with them straight away. They were like, ‘We’re going to get sober with you.’ And, you know, they’re still sober to this day. And so, it was really important to surround yourself with people that want to help you. And then also realize that you have a problem, you know, and so those are the things that clicked one day. It was like a light switch. It was such a weird feeling. I was just like, I don’t want to do this anymore, you know? I want to be better. And so, yeah, that helped change, and I thank WWE and my friends for that wholeheartedly.”

Saraya’s book about her life experiences and personal demons, Hell in Boots: Clawing My Way Through Nine Lives, is available now in hardcover, paperback, Kindle, and audiobook formats.

If using any of the above quotes, please credit Wrestling With Freddie, with a h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.