TNA Knockout Jade Says She Was a Victim of Domestic Abuse

– Jade is speaking out and revealing that she was a victim of domestic abuse. The TNA Knockout spoke with Huffington Post and said that one of her past relationships with a fellow wrestler was an abusive one. You can see some highlights from the interview below.

As an important note, the author of the article, Bryan Pacheco, has noted on Twitter that Jade’s current boyfriend Eddie Kingston is not the person that she is speaking about in the article:

It's important to clarify that in this article, Jade talks about an ex boyfriend. NOT Eddie.

— Brian Pacheco (@BryanPacheco) August 1, 2016

On being put in a headlock by him during an argument: “When he finally let go, my then-boyfriend just left me there and I’m wondering what the hell just happened. Was he legitimately trying to hurt me? Because it was a headlock, and we’re both wrestlers, I justified it as maybe it was him trying to playfully end [the argument].”

On staying silent during the relationship: “Women athletes, CEOs, those in power, we feel this pressure to be a role model to other women, to be strong, that we don’t want to let them know our struggle. I didn’t want to be known as a ‘victim.’ I was also trying to get on TV, so if I tell my story, would this mess up my career?”

On the abuse escalating: “It got more and more regular that if I said something he didn’t like he would get violent. One time I was in bed and we had a disagreement, so he left the room but came back in to head-butt me. Then he started to choke me. In fact, whenever he didn’t like something I said, he would choke me. Soon down the line, I realized that his mindset was because I’m not hitting you, it’s ok. Because I’m not leaving a mark on you, it’s ok.”

On those who might suggest that as a female wrestler who faces men, she is beying hypocritical: “We choose to get in the ring. We’re trained to keep ourselves and our opponents safe. But when someone brings it back home, that’s not wrestling anymore. That is not entertainment. That is just straight abuse.”

On not finding support when she began to speak up: “His trainer, even some of our mutual friends thought I was exaggerating and making it up. When I filed the order of protection, his trainer tried to talk me out of it. He said that I was hurting my ex’s career because I have a bigger name.”

On the Ray Rice situation bringing new attention to the issue: “If Ray Rice’s wife would have said something about it without the video, how many people would have said we need to change policies? How many people would have believed her? It took her getting knocked out on TV for society to care and actually believe a survivor.”

On TNA being supportive of her: “TNA has always been supportive. My ex would work with TNA and once they found out I had the order of protection, they wouldn’t have him near me.”

on Safe Horizon’s #PutTheNailinIt campaign, which asks people to paint their left ring fingernail purple as a vow to end domestic violence and silence about it: “I started getting more and more support from people who knew what the campaign meant or asked why my nail was painted. So, painting my nail became my secret way of telling the world ‘I’m a survivor.’ And, so, the #PutTheNailinIt campaign helped me a lot. For the first time in a long time I felt support from other people. Now, I want other survivors to know ‘I believe you.’ It’s ok to leave. It’s ok to speak out. It’s ok to seek help,” she said.