Nia Jax is doing what she can to end teen bullying. The WWE Superstar was recently seen on ABC’s What Would You Do? talking about her experience with being bullied when she was younger. Jax and ABC‘s John Quinones were in New Jersey’s Van Saun County Park. They were shooting a scene where a group of teen actors would bully another teen actor. Hidden cameras were set up to see what bystanders would do when they see the young girls call the teen a “loser” and a “freak.”
“It kills your confidence, especially when you’re young and you want to be a part of everything,” Jax said. “When there’s a clique like that, that comes and attacks you and attacks how you look, you second guess everything about yourself. You can’t really find that confidence you really need when you grow up.” Jax, whose real name is Savelina Fanene, said when growing up she was called “Jolly Green Giant” and “Bigfoot.”
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“I would always be made fun of just for being my size,” Jax added. She said she was able to get through the tough times thanks to her “amazing mother and some really incredible brothers.” She also said her cousin, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson helped by encouraging her to be a pro wrestler.
“He said, ‘You’re beautiful. You’re athletic…You have so much to offer,” Jax said. “Growing up thinking that I don’t fit in, that actually is what makes me a better superstar. Not fitting in and showing people that not fitting in is a good thing.” Jax being bullied was actually played out in a WWE storyline in 2018, which led to her winning the Raw Women’s Championship. In the storyline, then champion Alexa Bliss and Mickie James would make fun of Jax. She took on Bliss at WrestleMania 34 to win the title.
“Young girls would come up to me and say how inspired they were,” Jax said. “Young girls need to be able to see themselves on TV, relate and see situations that they actually are involved in every day at school.” Jax, 36, is still going strong in WWE as she’s one of the top female stars on Raw. On Sunday, Jax will team up with Shayna Baszler to battle Sasha Banks and Bayley for the Women’s Tag Team Championship at Payback.
