Subhojeet Mukherjee on January 23, 2024
Velveteen Dream was one of the biggest falls from grace in the history of WWE due to allegations that sent the hashtag #FireVelveteenDream trending whenever he was on television. He was accused of talking to minors and he has now directly addressed and denied such accusations.
The storm of allegations led to Velveteen Dream’s release from WWE in 2021, concluding a chapter marked by negative headlines. The fact he was accused of being a groomer and more hurt his reputation in a big way.
While speaking to Chris Van Vliet, Velveteen Dream addressed screenshots allegedly showing conversations with a 16 and 17-year-old, denying he spoke to minors and claiming that those were all fabricated.
“No, those aren’t conversations that I’ve ever had with anybody, minor or adult, legal, illegal, consensual, or non-consensual. Those words, those texts, those images that have been pushed out there on the internet—they’re all false.”
Dream mentioned that the accounts making the accusations were taken down and are no longer accessible. Velveteen Dream clarified that, during his time with WWE, he used his Twitter and Instagram solely for The Velveteen Dream persona. He acknowledged speaking to a person named Jacob Schmidt on Instagram but emphasized that he never typed or said anything that could be misconstrued as an advance of any type.
“On April 24, 2020, I put in my DM’s as The Velveteen Dream…when I was working for the WWE, my Twitter and my Instagram, the only 2 accounts I had, were strictly for The Velveteen Dream. I did speak to a Jacob Schmidt on Instagram. We actually had a phone conversation over Instagram. At no point in time did I ever type anything or say anything that should have or could have been misconstrued as an advance of any type.”
In response to Chris Van Vliet’s question about being friends with a 16-year-old, Velveteen Dream likened it to the big brother, little brother program, emphasizing that if he’s going to help anyone, he’s more inclined to help a male. He explained that he doesn’t understand what it takes to make money in the professional wrestling world as a woman, highlighting the mentorship aspect.
“There’s been a lot of people that have said a lot of things. The one thing to be very clear about [is] it’s not a friendship. It’s a mentorship. I can only akin it to the big brother, little brother program. One, if I’m going to help anyone, I’m more inclined to help a male. I’m not a female biologically or I don’t identify as a female. I don’t understand what it takes to make money in the professional wrestling world as a woman.”
Velveteen Dream also revealed why he didn’t address his allegations in his apology video. Dream’s decision to take accountability for his actions is a commendable step forward, but he still has a long way to go before fans and peers alike can truly forgive him for his actions. Whether he will ever return to professional wrestling remains uncertain, and only time will reveal the outcome.
What’s your view on what Velveteen Dream had to say? Do you feel he should be forgiven? Let us know in the comments section below!
January 23, 2024 11:45 am
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