Rhea Ripley says online comments about her body pushed her into an eating disorder she tried to keep private while she was still trying to understand it. The 29-year-old wrestling star said the scrutiny became hardest to ignore when she went on Twitter and saw criticism about her weight and appearance almost immediately.
In an interview on Pod Meets World with Danielle Fishel and Will Friedle, Ripley said the past year had been especially difficult and that the pressure built around stress, a lack of control and problems at home. She said, “It goes through waves where it’s really difficult and then sometimes really easy,” and added that she tried to stay close to people she trusted because “they are there for me and care for me.”
Ripley said the struggle was tied to a deeper need for control. “I’m a very in control person,” she said, explaining that it became harder when she could not control work, her schedule or her home life. She said fans also speculated that she had to lose weight because of back pain and accused her of being “off the roids,” a claim she flatly rejected. “We get tested. I’m not on anything,” Ripley said.
The remarks land at a moment when Ripley remains one of WWE’s most visible stars and is set to challenge Jade Cargill for the WWE Women’s Title at WrestleMania 42. That match has already become part of the company’s broader build toward the event, and Ripley’s comments put a personal struggle in the middle of a public spotlight that has followed her for years.
What makes the disclosure sharper is the mix of vulnerability and defiance around it. Ripley said she kept the eating disorder quiet for a while because she was still figuring it out, but also made clear that the online noise was impossible to avoid on Twitter. The result is a picture of a performer whose body has become part of the conversation in a way that goes far beyond wrestling booking, even as she moves toward one of the biggest matches on the calendar. A separate interview with Jade Cargill, who said she is bigger, stronger and ready for Rhea Ripley at WrestleMania 42, has only added to the buildup.