Tag: sonya deville

Former Sonya Deville ‘never wanted to step away’ after 2020 attempted kidnapping

Posted on by Ian Carey

Daria Rae, formerly known as Sonya Deville, says she didn’t want to take a break from wrestling after she was the victim of an attempted kidnapping in 2020.

In August of that year, a South Carolina man was arrested and charged with attempted armed kidnapping and burglary among other charges, stemming from a break-in at Rae’s Florida residence. She was involved in a storyline with Mandy Rose in WWE that was set to culminate in a hair vs. hair match at SummerSlam. Following the incident, the match stipulation was changed to a Loser Leaves WWE match. Deville lost the match and would not return to the company until the following January.

In a recent interview with Metro, Rae said taking a break from wrestling was not her choice.

Rae said:

“I never wanted to step away. That wasn’t my choice. It was probably what was best for me at the time, so I’m glad people had my personal well-being in mind, but I never wanted to step away.”

“I was chomping at the bit every second I was home, texting the powers that be like, ‘When can I come back? When can I come back?’”

“Obviously, hindsight is 20/20,” she added. “But I was hungry, I was in the middle of it. I had loved the angle and the storyline that Mandy and I did, including Dolph [Ziggler] – [AKA Nic Nemeth] – and Otis.”

“I was kind of just getting my footing, I feel like, as a character on screen. Obviously, we can’t predict the future, and timing wasn’t perfect.”

“I can’t ever look back and be like, ‘Oh I wish that didn’t happen’. Because everything leads to the next thing, and where you’re supposed to be.”

“Look at me now – I’m in TNA, it’s exactly where I’m supposed to be right now, I believe that.”

Rae returned to WWE on the January 1, 2021 edition of Raw in a new authority figure role. Similarly, she debuted in TNA Wrestling as an authority figure on last week’s Impact debut on AMC. Rae also discusses what led to her signing with TNA in the interview, which is available in full here.

Former Sonya Deville reveals new TNA contract length

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

Days after making her debut on TNA’s AMC premiere, former WWE talent Sonya Deville has now opened up in detail about her new TNA contract.

Speaking on Busted Open Radio, Rae revealed signing a six-month contract with TNA Wrestling.

“I signed a six-month deal. I plan on seeing it through. I’m having a lot of fun. Everything is going great so far. As long as it is a continuously mutual beneficial situation, meaning I’m adding value and I feel good about what I’m getting in return, then I don’t see why it wouldn’t continue long-term.”

In the same interview, Rae also revealed that she met with Carlos Silva at Invicta in April 2025, following her WWE release, but was not ready to return to pro wrestling.

Last week, Rae made her debut at the iMPACT! on AMC’s premiere episode as the promotion’s new authority figure, known by the nickname SUIT. Just moments after her debut, she introduced the crowd to her latest Knockouts division signing, another former WWE wrestler, Cora Jade, now known as Elayna Black.

Former Sonya Deville reveals how TNA debut came together, whether she’ll wrestle

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Daria Berenato (the former Sonya Deville) had good timing when reaching out to TNA Wrestling about joining the company.

Now known as Daria Rae, Berenato arrived in TNA last week as a new on-screen authority figure. Her debut took place on the company’s AMC premiere — and Berenato revealed in a new interview with Denise Salcedo that she actually reached out to TNA right before news of the AMC deal broke. She viewed the serendipitous timing as a sign that she was making the right decision by returning to the pro wrestling industry.

Berenato departed WWE in February 2025 when her contract with the company was not renewed. She explained to Salcedo that her first contact with TNA actually came shortly after her WWE departure, but she wasn’t ready to get back into wrestling at that time.

“I took a much-needed break, and then as we rounded the end of the year, I just had an epiphany,” she said. “I looked at my wife and I was like, ‘Babe, I think I want to go back to wrestling in some capacity.’ And she was like, ‘Yeah, I think you should.’ So that was kind of it. I had been talking to TNA kind of from the moment I left [WWE]. Because TNA is owned by the same company that Invicta FC the MMA company is owned by — Anthem Sports. So I had met [TNA President] Carlos [Silva] at an Invicta event. We had talked back then, and I just wasn’t ready then. And then I was. So I reached out and I was like, ‘Let’s do this.’ And it happened to be the day before they were going to announce the AMC TV deal.”

Aside from her wife, Berenato did not tell anyone about her TNA debut in advance. She received supportive messages from Natalya, Liv Morgan, CJ Perry (Lana), and Bianca Belair after popping up on Impact.

Berenato said she’s very passionate about her TNA character and is having so much fun putting it together. Working alongside Santino Marella was one thing that drew her to TNA, with Berenato thinking they could have a really fun dynamic as opposing authority figures.

It remains to be seen whether Berenato will ever wrestle again. When asked if we could see her without a suit in TNA, Berenato did not close the door on competing.

“Well, I don’t know. I really like wearing suits,” she told Salcedo. “But if you were to ask me a year ago if you would ever see me in heels, I would have told you no. So anything can happen, I’ll leave you at that.”

Two former WWE & NXT wrestlers join TNA during Impact AMC premiere

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

Thursday’s TNA Impact premiere episode on AMC was filled with several surprises which included the debut of former WWE wrestler Sonya Deville and former NXT wrestler Cora Jade.

TNA’s on-screen director of authority Santino Marella introduced the former Sonya Deville, now known as Daria Rae, to the fans as the promotion’s latest signing as an authority figure. Rae introduced herself to the crowd as a babyface before swiftly turning heel and berating Marella and the Texas crowd.

The former on-screen WWE assistant general manager on SmackDown then proceeded to introduce the former Cora Jade, going as Elayna Black, as the TNA Knockout division’s latest signing.

Rae was not renewed by WWE last year while Black was released in May 2025. She has competed in TNA before, competing in four matches in early-2025 while under WWE contract. She hasn’t wrestled since last July as she took a break from wrestling to focus on her mental health.

Former WWE wrestler Sonya Deville books new movie role

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Daria Berenato — formerly known as Sonya Deville in WWE — has booked a new movie role with filming set to begin soon.

It was announced via Deadline today that Berenato is part of the cast for an upcoming horror-comedy film titled “Zombois.” The film is also set to star Tuc Watkins, Thomas Dekker, Brenna D’Amico, Adam Huss, and Aaron Goldenberg. Production begins in Atlanta this month.

The film is from director Garrett Abdo, who described it as something “fun and outrageous” with gay zombies. It’s Abdo’s second feature film following the 2025 picture “Exit Interviews.”

“The feature centers on a group of college seniors on break in the North Georgia Mountains who discover a guarded secret and a contagion that turns their getaway into a brutal battle for survival,” Deadline wrote about “Zombois.”

Berenato departed WWE this February when she was informed that her contract was not being renewed. She was “shocked” by the decision given that she had been in negotiations for a new WWE deal, but Berenato said she believes this was the universe guiding her toward where she is supposed to be in life. Acting was her childhood dream, so no longer being with WWE gives her more time to pursue that.

Since her WWE departure, Berenato has not wrestled anywhere else. She co-hosts the podcast Daria & Toni Unwrapped with her wife Toni Cassano.

Former Sonya Deville was ‘so loyal’ to WWE, feels weird to think about wrestling elsewhere

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Because she was so loyal to WWE, the former Sonya Deville feels like it would be weird to wrestle anywhere else.

Daria Berenato revealed this February that she was departing WWE with the promotion opting not to renew her contract. She had been in negotiations for a new deal and was shocked to find out that her contract wasn’t being renewed, but Berenato feels like everything happens for a reason and has nothing but positive memories about her time with WWE.

On a new episode of Insight with Chris Van Vliet, Berenato addressed whether she’s retired from wrestling now. She thinks wrestling retirements are cliche, but she’s at peace with not wrestling at the moment.

“Definitely for now. Never say never. But like, right now I feel at peace with that,” Berenato said. “I’m not going to lie, and I haven’t said this, but it almost is like an open wound, and if I think about wrestling somewhere else, it’s like — I was so loyal to the company. Like you said, it was my only home from 21 years old to 31. I’m like a ride-or-die type of person in general. So, like, it’s weird to even think about doing that, but not there.”

Though Berenato doesn’t know exactly what the future holds for her, she feels like she’s on the right path in life. She considers herself an entrepreneur and an actress right now. Acting has always been her dream, and she gets to give that more attention now that she’s no longer with WWE. One of the roles she’s filmed is a Christmas movie called “The Heart Brake” that also features wrestling legend Mick Foley.

Acting feels like the correct path for Berenato, but she’s also not closing the door on competing in MMA again. She has a great relationship with women’s promotion Invicta FC and has done commentary for them. Berenato has also started a new podcast with her wife Toni Cassano called “Daria & Toni Unwrapped.”

The last wrestling match Berenato had took place on an episode of WWE Main Event in February prior to her departure.

Sonya Deville considering MMA return: ‘I really loved fighting’

Posted on by Ian Carey

“The Jersey Devil” Daria Berenato, better known to WWE fans as Sonya Deville, says she is considering a return to mixed martial arts.

Deville last competed in amateur MMA on March 8, 2015, losing a decision to Jasmine Pouncy. Later that year, she joined the sixth season of WWE Tough Enough, leading to a nearly decade-long run with the company before her release last month.

Appearing on The Ariel Helwani Show on Monday, Deville said she sees her chances of continuing in pro wrestling as equal to those of making a return to MMA.

“I think the chances of me continuing my wrestling career and the chances of me reigniting my MMA career are about the same right now,” she said on the show.

“I’m in the stage of my life right now where everything is going to be based on what I want and what I feel inside. It’s not for any other reason. So, wherever my passion is the strongest is where I’m going to go.”

Deville defeated Allenita Perez via guillotine in her first amateur fight. She followed that with a TKO win over Jeselia Perez before losing a decision to Pouncy in her final bout.

“I was heartbroken when I left MMA for wrestling,” she continued. “I was really messed up about it for probably about a year to two years.”

“I was just getting started, I was fresh, I was 21-years-old, I took three fights, it was going great. Even though the last one was a loss, it was close. I felt good, I was on that journey and I was obsessed with it.”

“I was excited to embark on the WWE journey, but very conflicted because I really, really loved fighting.”

Deville’s full interview on The Ariel Helwani Show is available below:

Sonya Deville addresses her WWE departure: ‘I was shocked’

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Sonya Deville was shocked to learn that her WWE contract was not being renewed.

Deville — real name Daria Berenato — was among those who departed WWE in a round of roster cuts earlier this month. She was not technically released by the company but was informed that her contract would not be renewed when it expires in a few weeks.

In a new YouTube video uploaded today, Deville addressed her departure for the first time and spoke about what’s next for her. Deville said she had been in negotiations for a new WWE deal and expected the phone call she got would be about that. Instead, she was told that her contract would not be renewed.

“As a lot of you guys know, 10 days ago now, I got the call. My contract was not being renewed with the WWE,” Deville said. “I was in Washington, D.C. for a cheer tournament with our little one. I was actually running on the treadmill working out with our older one Giovanna, and I got a phone call. We were in the middle of negotiations, and so I thought the phone call was going to be the middle ground that we met on, an agreement, a contract. And it was, ‘We are not renewing your contract.’ So, complete transparency, which this is really the first time I’m saying this, I was shocked.”

Deville said the news was unexpected because she had been with WWE for 10 years and had a great relationship with everyone. When you work somewhere that long, everyone becomes like family. But she feels only gratitude toward WWE for making the 10 best years of her life possible. She loved every minute of her WWE career and still loves everyone there.

Though she was surprised by her departure, Deville believes everything happens for a reason. She fell in love with wrestling while with WWE, but acting was her dream when she was growing up. Deville revealed that she booked her first big film project three days before her WWE contract was not renewed, so she feels like the timing of everything worked out serendipitously and the universe is guiding her into what’s next.

“First it was shock. At first it was like, ‘Whoa.’ But then it was almost like instantaneously, my trust in the universe allowed me to just be at peace with it instantly. Because you can’t fight fate. That chapter was meant to close, and all these new beautiful blessings were meant to come,” she said. “Just the way things happened, like is there anything more serendipitous? It happened for a reason, so how could you be mad at that? How could you be upset or frustrated or even wonder ‘What if?’ Life’s too short. I have so many dreams, so many things I want to do.

“And I still love everybody there. And I have a great — like, my memory from that place is nothing but positive. And I want to keep it that way. But also I respect that the universe is like, ‘Hey, that chapter’s closed.’ Right now, forever, whatever, it doesn’t matter. But onto the next, let’s go. I have two kids and a wife to take care of. We have a family. Like, we’ve gotta keep going. So I think that just allowed me to have like instant peace. It was like, it’s all good.”

Deville was part of Pure Fusion Collective on the WWE Raw roster before her departure. Shayna Baszler & Zoey Stark are the two remaining members of the faction.

Report: Sonya Deville, AOP, Blair Davenport among WWE departures

Posted on by Bryan Rose

More wrestlers are reportedly departing WWE.

PWInsider and Fightful are reporting that AOP (Rezar & Akam), Paul Ellering, and Blair Davenport have been released by WWE. Both also report that Sonya Deville’s contract with the company is not being renewed and will become a free agent in a few weeks.

Earlier on Friday, Cedric Alexander announced on social media that he had been released from WWE, and would become a free agent in 90 days.

After being released by WWE in 2020, AOP were re-signed in 2022 but were not brought back to television until 2023, when they returned with their NXT manager Paul Ellering. They joined forces with Karrion Kross and Scarlett to form The Final Testament. The highlight of their run was at WrestleMania XL, where they lost to Bobby Lashley & The Street Profits in a Philadelphia Street Fight.

Sonya Deville had been with WWE since 2015 following her performance on that year’s Tough Enough. She is a one time Women’s Tag Team Champion with Chelsea Green, although she later had to vacate the title due to injury. Upon her return last May, she formed the Pure Fusion Collective stable with Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark.

Davenport was called up to the main roster in 2024 as part of that year’s WWE Draft but was only used sparingly, last wrestling on television in November.

WWE Raw faction given new name

Posted on by Bryan Rose

A new faction’s name has been revealed.

On Monday’s Raw, it was revealed that going forward the name of the faction consisting of Shayna Baszler, Sonya Deville, and Zoey Stark will be The Pure Fusion Collective.

In a promo on Raw, Deville revealed the name, mentioning the people they’ve taken out in recent weeks including Zelina Vega, Katana Chance, and Dakota Kai. Baszler said they would take out the women’s division limb by limb.

The trio went on to face Damage CTRL in a number one contender’s match for the WWE Women’s Tag Team titles. The match ended without a clear winner as champions Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn attacked both teams, ending the match. A three-way match for the titles was later announced for next week’s show.

Deville returned from injury back in May and quickly looked to recruit Baszler and Stark. While Baszler was apprehensive at first, the three eventually formed an alliance, targeting other teams on the Raw roster including Damage CTRL, taking out Kai on last week’s show.

Sonya Deville returns to WWE on Raw

Posted on by Ethan Renner

Sonya Deville has returned to WWE.

Deville returned on Monday’s Raw episode in a backstage segment with new top contenders to the Women’s Tag Team titles, Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark.

In the segment, Deville offered a handshake to Baszler and Stark and was on the verge of making a proposal of some sort to the duo, but Baszler rejected whatever Deville had in mind without hearing her out.

Deville has been sidelined since last summer after suffering a torn ACL in a match on the July 28, 2023 SmackDown episode. Deville and Chelsea Green were Women’s Tag Team Champions at the time of her injury. Piper Niven replaced Deville as Tag champ without the titles being vacated.

Stark and Baszler won a four-way number one contender’s match on Monday’s Raw to become the new number one contenders to current Women’s Tag Team Champions Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill.

In her time away from the ring, Deville got married, and played a police officer in a movie.

Our full report from Monday’s Raw is available here.

WWE’s Sonya Deville marries Toni Cassano

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Sonya Deville has married her fiance.

The WWE star married Toni Cassano, a fitness model, Saturday at The Legacy Castle in New Jersey in front of 140 people. Maria Menounos served as the official. People Magazine reported on the wedding, taking exclusive pictures.

https://www.instagram.com/p/p:C3MRpkArM1c

Deville talked about Menounos officiating the wedding with People.

“That was one element that was really special to me. Maria and her husband Keven [Undergaro] have been a huge part of my life,” she said. “They’re the reason I’m in the WWE — they introduced me to that whole world. They were my mentors back when I was 20 years old bartending in Los Angeles, so they’ve been with me the entire ride.”

The newly married couple will spend their honeymoon in Costa Rica.

Those that attended the wedding include Charlotte Flair and Andrade, Bayley, Montez Ford and Bianca Belair, Liv Morgan, McKenzie Mitchell, Matt Cardona and Chelsea Green, Mandy Rose, and Vic Joseph. Belair served as the flower girl for the wedding.

Deville is currently out of action with a torn ACL she suffered back in July. She had been one half of the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions with Chelsea Green, with Piper Niven eventually replacing her as Green’s partner.

Sonya Deville cast as police officer in ‘DNA Secrets’ film

Posted on by Ian Carey

Sonya Deville is doing some acting work while on the shelf with a torn ACL. 

Deville has been cast as a police officer in the movie, “DNA Secrets,” which is currently filming in Clearwater, Florida. While on set, she spoke with 10 Tampa Bay about the similarities between acting and being a WWE performer. 

Deville said:

Obviously, the hustle and bustle, the hurry up and wait, the cameras, the memorization of lines, the having to constantly be ready and on is very similar. I have to say, I do like that in filmmaking you get more than one take. When you’re on Monday Night Raw or Friday Night SmackDown, it is live live and that is it. 

Deville has been out of action since suffering a torn ACL in August. At the time, she was one-half of the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions along with Chelsea Green. 

DNA Secrets is being produced by David Yates, who is known for his work on Dolphin Tale and Dolphin Tale 2. Yates told the Tampa Bay Times recently that the movie’s plot centers on an antiques store owner who gives her relatives DNA testing kits as a gift. When the store owner’s family members begin turning up murdered, she “edges closer to the truth only to discover that she herself is at the heart of a mystery that has put her entire family in danger.”

Sonya Deville resolves firearm charge, completes pretrial intervention program

Posted on by Ian Carey

Sonya Deville no longer has a firearm charge to worry about. 

The 30-year-old was arrested in Atlantic City earlier this year and charged with one count of unlawful weapon possession. A parking valet at an Atlantic City casino discovered a handgun in her vehicle and contacted the police. 

Deville legally purchased the weapon following a home invasion incident she was victim to on August 16, 2020. The gun was registered in Florida but she did not have the proper documentation to be carrying it in the state of New Jersey. 

Speaking to the Courier-Post, the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office confirmed Deville was entered into a six-month diversion program in May. They noted that entry into the program is “routine in cases with this fact pattern.” The program is specifically designed for out-of-state gun owners who fail to obtain proper documentation for their weapon before entering New Jersey. 

Deville completed the program in November and the firearm charge against her has been officially resolved. 

Her attorney of record in the case was Louis Barbone of Atlantic City.

Deville has been out of action since July after suffering a torn ACL.

WWE’s Sonya Deville on torn ACL: ‘Couldn’t have come at a worse time’

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Sonya Deville took to social media to comment on her ACL injury.

Deville Monday night posted a video on X talking about her injury that was reported on TMZ earlier in the day.

“Obviously, the tag team titles are cursed,” she joked. “Just kidding. But like, not really.”

Deville said she injured her ACL on this past Friday’s SmackDown, where she and Chelsea Green teamed together in a losing effort against Charlotte Flair and Bianca Belair. She said she will be undergoing surgery on Tuesday. She also talked about how she had been working for the last eight years to win a title in WWE and finally did, winning the titles with Green.

“Obviously it’s super bitter to say its come to an end due to an injury,” she said. “Especially since it is my first injury in wrestling, or really in sports in general…obviously it’s super disappointing and it couldn’t have come at a worse time, but I don’t think any injury comes at a great time. That’s just how the cookie crumbles.”

She finished the video by saying coming back from the injury will give her a “bigger motivation and passion for what I already love doing, and that’s being in the WWE.”