Wrestling reality show Total Divas blasted onto our screens a decade ago today (July 28).
Premiering in 2013, the WWE show helped to slam open the doors for women in professional wrestling and let them hear their stories. The show followed seven sexy and powerful women as they gave fans an unfiltered look into their lives both inside and out of the ring.
The show helped to not only change the public’s perception on female wrestling, but also help to launch the careers of the fighters – only strengthening the need for women’s wrestlers in the sport. The effect can be seen today in WWE, with more female wrestlers than ever before.
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So, a decade on from when the show hit our screens, Daily Star looks at where some of the stars of the show are now.
Eva Marie (played by Natalie Eva Marie)
Eva Marie set the show on fire with her fiery personality and vivid red hair. During her time on the show, Eva Marie got her break in front of the public, having answered a call for wrestlers and sign a contract at WWE itself.
Thanks to her stardom, she was able to secure a number of huge breaks into the industry, having two stints in the WWE circuit. She also branched out into film and TV, landing herself a huge role in Hard Kill, alongside Hollywood actor Bruce Willis.
This was not to say she was universally loved, and Eva Marie came to be known as a controversial character both in and out of the ring. She has always kept the door open for a return to wrestling, though her career in the media is continuing to rise.
The Bella Twins (played by the Garcia Twins)
It is rare that you see twins take part in the same sport, let alone wrestling. But for the Bella twins, the calls were so strong they had to join the WWE company and then Total Divas in 2013.
Fans of the show were enamoured with the pair during the course of the nine seasons the show ran for, with Brie Bella’s relationship to fellow competitor Bryan Danielson blossoming with the final chapter of getting married. Sister Nikki had a more turbulent relationship with former wrestler John Cena, with the pair regularly hitting the headlines.
The twins, however, would go on to dominate the reality TV scene, landing their own spin-off show from Total Divas, called Total Bellas. Since then, the pair have been on a number of different shows including America’s Got Talent: Extreme and Dancing with the Stars, the American equivalent to Strictly Come Dancing.
JoJo Offerman
Sometimes joining the WWE company can lead to other opportunities outside of the ring – and this is what happened to JoJo Offerman. Joining the Total Divas crew at the end of her teenage years, JoJo was inexperienced and spent much of her time on the reality under the wing of her co-stars.
Over time, JoJo realised that reality TV was not her cup of tea and decided to turn her attention away from the show she was on. After leaving the show in its first season, Offerman stayed with WWE for some time, giving her skills to women ringside – as well as singing the American national anthem.
JoJo would go on to stay with the company for a number of years, touring with the troupe until she said goodbye to the company. Last year, Jojo sadly lost her WWE legend husband Bray Wyatt who died from a heart attack. She shared two children with the late star.
Natalya Neidhart
Natalya had already earned respect from her contemporaries when the show first hit our screens in 2013, but whilst on the reality show, she was able to let loose. Fans were able to see a more human side to the star, including an obsession with Louis Vitton shoes.
During the show, Natalya’s blooming relationship with former childhood sweetheart TJ Wilson left viewers in tears, as she was able to tie the knot during the course of the show. Natalya’s husband Tyson Kidd also suffered a career-ending injury, which saw him leave his in-ring role with the company. He damaged his spinal cord while taking a Muscle Buster from Samoa Joe in 2015
As well as this, her wrestling career has continued to dominate her life, and the 42-year-old shows no sign of slowing down.
The star is now a proud six-time world record holder of various wrestling accolades, and continues to train for her career, uploading sweaty snaps to her profile. She is also still married to her doting husband, who has now left the front-facing side of WWE for something more behind-the-scenes.
She’s also wowed fans with her bikini snaps. One sizzling moment caught her posing in a bright orange bikini by the pool.
Cameron (played by Ariane Andrew)
Going onto Total Divas was no stress for Cameron, who already had reality TV experience under her belt thanks to a stint on competition show Tough Enough in 2011. Despite being the first to be kicked out, WWE owners saw potential in her and signed her to the company, appearing on Total Divas for the first season.
Ever the feisty one, Cameron made it known how she felt, sparking a wave of social media uproar during each episode. Her catchphrase, “Girl bye”, has since become part of the English lexicon after it became an internet sensation.
Since leaving the show, Cameron has kept her wrestling career on track, joining rival group All Elite Wrestling in 2020 for a short stint. Since then, she has turned her attention to social media and promotion, often being spotted on the Brand Army social platforms.
Naomi (played by Trinity Fatu)
Dancer Naomi turned to wrestling just as Total Divas was getting underway, and with the WWE giving the green light, she caused a stir on the show. Working with Cameron, Naomi began to turn heads as she fought for her own creative direction, fuelling her “Feel the Glow” campaign that was backed by fans.
Outside of the ring, the wrestler faced issues when she went through a sticky rough patch with husband Jimmy, but her honest emotions endeared her to fans and called on her for more screentime. Naomi’s career would reach its height with WWE when she became a multiple-winner women’s champion.
She then left the show and wrestled under her real name of Trinity Fatu. In 2023, she signed with rivals Impact Wrestling and was hailed as one of the company’s largest snaps of all time.
Naomi rejoined WWE in April 2024 and returned to wrestling under the Naomi name.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk