In January 2020, several female wrestlers accused Tessa Blanchard of bullying and racism, including an incident where she allegedly spat in a black woman’s face and used a racial slur. The woman involved, Black Rose, later confirmed that the incident had occurred.
Tessa was released from TNA Wrestling in 2020 and returned to the company in December 2024, prompting mixed reactions. At the Genesis 2025 PPV, fans chanted “she’s a racist” at her during her match against Jordynne Grace.
"She's a racist" chants at Tessa Blanchard at TNA Genesispic.twitter.com/lWoD0SapdG
— WrestleFeed (@WrestleFeedApp) January 20, 2025
Addressing the backlash in an interview with SK Wrestling’s WrestleBinge, Blanchard shared her perspective on the criticism and her time away from wrestling.
Blanchard commented on how easily people believe stories about her, even when they’re false or exaggerated. Comparing it to a game of telephone, she said:
“Well, first and foremost, I think a lot of people—you could tell them the sky is green, and they would believe it. There are so many stories out there that I read, and I think, ‘This came out of left field. I don’t even know where they cooked this up.’ Some stories might have about 20% truth to them, while others get completely twisted into a game of ‘telegram, telephone, telegram, Tele-wrestler,’ you know what I mean?”
On the locker room reactions, Blanchard acknowledged varied opinions but emphasized that false narratives had influenced perceptions. She explained her efforts to share her side of the story:
“As far as the locker room, everyone is going to feel something, and they’re going to think something. A lot of people were fed a story by someone who is no longer with the company—something that is completely untrue and manipulated into something it wasn’t. Now, I’m having the conversations I need to have because there are so many one-sided stories out there. My side has never really been told or shared with a lot of these people.”
Blanchard also opened up about stepping away from wrestling for three years, citing the need to protect her mental health and shield her family from online abuse:
“When I left wrestling for about three years, I was in a mental state where I didn’t want to see a wrestling ring. I didn’t want to talk about wrestling; I didn’t want to be around anyone involved in the wrestling world; I completely cut it off—I deleted certain social media accounts because I was getting flooded with messages, and so was my family. No person, especially a 14-year-old little sister, should have to read things like that. It was just better for me to separate myself.”
Despite the criticism, Blanchard expressed her readiness to work hard and rebuild her career, undeterred by negativity or intimidation:
“Hard work doesn’t scare me. Starting over from the ground up and working my way back—that doesn’t scare me. I think that might intimidate a lot of people, and when someone is intimidated, it’s sometimes easier to villainize a person. That’s okay with me. Whatever you or anyone else thinks about me has everything to do with you and nothing to do with me.”
Blanchard’s comments reflect her determination to move forward, regardless of past controversies or current challenges.
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