The Price of Loyalty: How a "No-Dating" Rule Cost Velvet Sky Her WWE Contract

For years, wrestling fans wondered why Velvet Sky, one of the most recognizable faces of the 2000s wrestling boom, never had a run in WWE. The answer, it turns out, had nothing to do with her talent in the ring or her look—it was about who she was dating.

In a candid revelation on social media, the former TNA Knockouts Champion pulled back the curtain on a meeting at WWE headquarters with then-Head of Talent Relations, John "Johnny Ace" Laurinaitis. According to Sky, she walked into the building expecting to sign a contract, only to be turned away for choosing her relationship over a corporate mandate.

“The reason I didn’t get signed, per right from Johnny Ace’s mouth at our meeting at headquarters when I was told prior to the meeting that I was gonna be signed, was because I was in a long term relationship with one of the talent who worked there at the time, and I was told by Ace that he “didn’t want HIS divas dating within the company.”I chose loyalty to my long term man at the time and got passed up because I wasn’t single. Oh well. I had a helluva career at TNA and wouldn’t have changed it for any

At the time of the meeting, Velvet Sky was in a long-term relationship with WWE Superstar Gregory Helms (known then as The Hurricane). Despite being told prior to the meeting that she was going to be signed, the tone shifted once she sat down with Laurinaitis.

This "no-dating" policy has long been a point of contention in wrestling history. During the "Divas Era," management often prioritized a specific marketing image: female talent needed to appear "available" to the male demographic. Sky’s refusal to end her relationship or hide it cost her the opportunity to join the largest promotion in the world.

While the WWE door closed, another opened wider. Velvet Sky moved on to TNA (Total Nonstop Action) Wrestling, where she became a cornerstone of the Knockouts Division. 

As a founding member of The Beautiful People, Sky didn't just participate in the division—she revolutionized it. The group became one of the highest-rated segments on TNA television, proving that she didn't need the WWE machine to become a household name in the industry. 

• Impact: She became a 2-time TNA Knockouts Champion. 

• Legacy: She helped prove that women’s wrestling could drive ratings and merchandise sales independently of the "Diva" branding.

Today, the landscape of professional wrestling is vastly different. WWE power couples like Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch or Bianca Belair and Montez Ford are not only accepted but often celebrated in storylines. The "No-Dating" rule Sky encountered is now viewed as a relic of a bygone era—one that prioritized optics over talent. 

Velvet Sky’s story remains a powerful reminder of the personal sacrifices talent were often asked to make behind the scenes, and a testament to the fact that there is more than one path to becoming a legend