Felix Upton on March 22, 2023
WWE fans are very happy to see Superstars in public, but that can also become a problem. A new focus is on how fans demand autographs from Superstars, and Rhea Ripley is at the forefront of that discussion.
Rhea Ripley drew a lot of attention when she tweeted out to say, “People need to respect that no means no! At airports do not follow me outside. Today has put me off completely! I will not sign ANYTHING that isn’t a personal photo of us anymore. Hate me, I don’t care. Disagree with me, try putting yourselves in our shoes for one bloody day.” Braun Strowman seemed to agree with that sentiment in a big way.
While speaking to USA Network, Rhea Ripley used that platform to really expand on the issue she has with fans bombarding her for autographs. She explained that fan interactions happen every single day, but signing a bunch of things that will end up on eBay is another story.
“We fly around so much and we travel so much. Right now I’m doing both brands, so I’m at the airport pretty much every single day. So I run into fans every single day and there’s a lot of them. And when it comes to signing, some of them have piles of the same photos, of the same action figures, of the same pop vinyls, of the same cards — and they want you to sign every single one of them. And if you say, ‘Hey, I’m just going to sign one, I’ve got places to be’ — because most of the time we do, we’re running late. I was running late to work this morning because I landed so late and I’ve got to be here at a certain time, and sometimes we just can’t sign it all.”
Rhea Ripley seems to have approached the situation with understanding. Still, one bad experience can ruin everything. The Nightmare went on to explain how one interaction changed the way she sees things.
“It’s sort of an entitled thing when some fans expect us to just do it and they start making a fuss if we say no. So I had a fan follow me outside the airport today because I said no to them because I didn’t have the time and it was all of the same stuff they wanted signed. It was one fan specifically, he’s notorious, he’s always at the airport getting our signatures and selling them on eBay — we know his face, we know who he is.”
“He was the main instigator, he followed me out and others followed him too and they all followed me as I’m trying to find my Uber. So I’m trying to tell them no and they’re all being persistent and I ended up getting lost, I had no idea where my Uber was, and I ended up down the stairs away from everyone else and I’m just surrounded by these five guys and they’re just hassling me. I don’t think people understand how threatening that is. Especially because you don’t know what’s going to happen. I don’t know these people.”
In the end, Rhea Ripley just wants to be treated with respect. It’s understandable that people want to be around her, and get her autograph, but there’s a proper way to go about achieving that goal.
“Like I said before, if you’re a genuine fan and you just want a photo with us — we don’t mind taking photos. We love our fans, we love our support, and we love everything about the WWE Universe. If you want a photo, I’m down to take a photo, and I know everyone else is, too. If you have a photo of you and us together, I’m going to sign it because that’s a personal thing and I know you’re going to keep that and cherish that, and you’re a true fan, you’re not just trying to make quick money off us while we’re at the airport. Especially at an airport, in many cases, we’re sleep deprived, we’re in a rush, we haven’t eaten, and then there’s people jumping down our throats expecting something from you. It’s just a lot.”
“Just treat us with respect like we’re normal human beings instead of products. I find that a lot of the time when you go to the airport, people that are waiting there, waiting for signatures and autographs, a lot them — not all of them, there is some good ones in the batch that actually want to meet their favorite Superstars and that’s all good and fine, but it’s the ones that are trying to make money off our signatures and just treat us like we’re a product for everyone’s use.”
Rhea Ripley is hard to miss when she’s out in public, and she realizes that. It won’t stop fans from coming at her in droves, asking for some of her time and a keepsake of the experience, but there is a line that shouldn’t be crossed.
What’s your line when approaching famous people in public? Do you just let them be and enjoy their time instead? Sound off in the comments!
March 22, 2023 10:47 am
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