WWE’s Sasha Banks Details Depression Battle In 2019
Banks asked to leave WWE as a result
Feb 22, 2021
The recent episode of Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Sessions saw the WWE Hall of Famer joined in the studio by WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Sasha Banks.
The two talked in length about Banks’s career, including her five-month absence from WWE in 2019. Banks revealed that she was battling depression and needed time away to recover.
“At Elimination Chamber, I know how important that match was for Bayley, but at that time I still was slowly [going down] and not happy,” Banks recalled.
“Depression was taking over. My mind was taking over. My thoughts were taking over. This place was being bigger than me. And I really, really lost myself because for a good seven years, I didn’t even hear my real name. I didn’t hear Mercedes anymore. All I heard was Sasha Banks, and traveling on the road, we only get one to two days off.
“So, I’m home, not even seeing what my real hair looks like. All I see if purple hair every single day. There were just so many things that were just — I let it control me. I let it take it and be like, ‘This is too much’ instead of being like, ‘You know what? Everything’s good. Breathe. Everything’s fine.’ [Laughs]”
Banks realised she needed a break from the business as soon as possible.
“I couldn’t even look at myself,” Banks said. “I didn’t even know who the hell I was. How I was going into work, how angry I was going in, how sad I was. I was not the person that I dreamt to be.
“It hit the fan and I wanted to make sure that I didn’t lose myself. So I said, ‘You know what? I got to take a step away and find myself again and I gotta be brave about that.’ And that was probably one of the hardest things I had to do — ask to leave the WWE.”
Banks revealed that when she needed a break she spoke to Vince McMahon, who initially offered Banks the opportunity to think it over for 30 days.
“I asked to leave and Vince was like, ‘no,'” Banks laughed. “He said no. He said I’m gonna give you 30 days to think about it. And I took more than 30 days.”
Credit: WWE H/T: Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
