Former WWE Star Mandy Rose Recalls Feeling Unwelcome On Total Divas

On the most recent episode of her "Power Alphas" podcast, Mandy Rose, who was released by WWE in December 2022, spoke about being introduced to her fellow cast members on "WWE Total Divas." Rose was a part of the reality show's fifth season along with Paige (now Saraya in AEW), Nikki and Brie Bella (now known as The Garcia Twins), Eva Marie, Natalya, Rosa Mendes, and Alicia Fox.

"So I come in, and I could just see the look on everyone's faces, like, 'Who's this b***h?'" Rose said. "But also, like the typical, 'Hi.' That's what I was getting. It was like, 'Yeah, you don't belong here.' Or the first thing Paige said was, 'But can you wrestle?' or whatever it was. It's in the clip. So they were very concerned about me getting training done and putting in the work, which I totally understand. Looking back at it, if I was in their shoes, I would be like, 'Okay, who is this b***h? Is she gonna train though?' Whatever.

"I get it, but I also feel like there was a lot of shade and jealousy — yes, I threw that word out — jealousy happening and it's okay. We all go through it. But yeah, I didn't know what to expect."

Rose, who was a runner-up on the sixth season of the "WWE Tough Enough" reality show, also said that she wasn't provided any feedback or notes about what to expect on "Total Divas." The former "WWE NXT" Women's Champion mentioned that she was advised by Chris Jericho and Lita to "step it up" when it came to the show's realism and drama in order to stand out. Rose said she became "the Big Bad Wolf" as a result of the advice.

If you use quotes in this article, please credit the "Power Alphas" podcast and provide an h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.