Exclusive: Nia Jax Reveals Why Her Role on ‘Total Divas’ ‘Shocked’ Fans

WWE Diva Nia Jax opened up a whole other part of her personality to the public when first joining Total Divas during Season 7.

It’s a risky move, but one that helped Jax show off more of her personality outside of the ring, she revealed in an exclusive interview with PopCulture.com reporter Jack Snodgrass prior to the Season 3 premiere of the E! reality show’s spinoff, Total Bellas.

“[Total Divas] actually brought a lot more attention to my personality. When I first got up on the road, I was a big, bad monster, and I didn’t say much, but I came in and I destroyed people, and I wrecked house. Nobody actually got to hear from me and hear my voice,” she told PopCulture.

Showing more of her personal life on reality television ended up revealing a softer side, which has only helped her career as an athlete and a character.

“When I got to Total Divas, then I actually completely shocked the fans about who I was and what I was all about,” she continued. “It actually helped a lot of people start to really relate to me and start to resonate with the character of Nia Jax. It’s been a great experience, and it’s been very helpful and rewarding for me.”

During her first season on Total Divas, Jax was often the voice of reason and a source of light amid the drama. But she also got real about her insecurities as a plus-sized woman, breaking down in one memorable episode while preparing for a first date alongside co-stars Nikki and Brie Bella.

It was a moment that resonated with female fans everywhere, and one from which Jax recovered with her signature body positive messaging. It’s something Jax said she’s proud to continue to talk about both as an athlete and as a role model in the media, both on WWE and Total Divas.

“My mom has always told me growing up that beauty does not come from the outside, it comes from within. Regardless of how pretty people think they are on the outside, if they open their mouth and their heart is not in the right place, they’re not as good looking as they think they are,” she told PopCulture. “That’s something that I’ve always had in the back of my mind, beauty comes from within.”

She continued: “Of course, I get made fun of for being bigger than all the other girls and not looking like everybody else, but what I would like for people to see and I think a message that mainstream media, and WWE’s doing a great job of it with me and with other characters on the roster, but just showing that everybody’s different. Beauty shouldn’t be defined by one certain look. Beauty should be defined by who they are on the inside. Everybody looks different. Not everybody was born the same.”

Jax knows she has a major platform to make a real difference in the way people think about their bodies — she’s seen it firsthand from fans.

“There’s adults that come up to me and say, ‘Thank you for actually saying that. I’ve felt so different growing up. I’ve never felt good with myself.’ These are grownups. To be able to go through your life and not feel comfortable with who you are, that makes me feel so sad. That makes me feel sad inside,” she said. “People should always feel comfortable and happy with who they are. There’s always those times of insecurity, but you should always know there’s no real perfect. You are perfect the way you are. It has nothing to do with how other people think.”

Total Bellas airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on E!

Photo credit: Instagram/Nia Jax