Daria Rae, formerly known as Sonya Deville in WWE, revealed she received death threats from fans during her controversial storyline with Naomi.
Speaking on Busted Open TNA, Rae discussed the darker side of playing a heel authority figure, recalling how her on-screen confrontations with Naomi crossed a line for some viewers.
\"The times that it has gotten scary in the past is when people — I get death threats a lot,\" Rae said. \"I did the storyline with Naomi. I was in her face and she couldn\'t hit me because I was authority and I slapped her and she just had to eat it on the chin. Like it was really, really, really messed up stuff and I was getting like legitimate death threats.\
The storyline ran on SmackDown from August 2021 through early 2022, with Deville using her authority position to antagonize Naomi at every turn.
The feud concluded at Elimination Chamber 2022 when Naomi teamed with Ronda Rousey to defeat Deville and Charlotte Flair.
Why Daria Rae Returned to Pro Wrestling
Rae also opened up about her decision to leave WWE after spending her entire adult life with the company.
\"From 21 years old to 31 years old, I was in the WWE. My entire adult life, my identity was WWE,\" she explained. \"And so I needed to find out who the hell I was as a person.\
After announcing her retirement from in-ring competition in July 2025, Rae made a surprise return to wrestling on January 15, debuting as TNA\'s Director of Operations during Impact\'s AMC premiere. She said the collaborative creative environment was a major draw.
\"Just being able to come in and put things in my own words and bring in true things from my life into my character, just having that ability to have a voice, I think makes all the difference,\" she said. \"No one knows you better than you.\
Rae is also continuing to pursue acting, with multiple film projects currently in production.
